Pink Chiffon
by LovelyLori
Summary: During the day, she wears pink chiffon and nude pumps; her glossed lips curve into an innocent smile. At night, she struts down the alleyway in black stilettos and wears a scowl on her red lips. The pistol is her most expensive accessory. Modern AU. Drug mention & contains some smut.
1. Pencil Skirts

The idea for this story came to me while sitting on a crowded train, listening to BBHMM. Please enjoy.

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Chapter 1: Pencil Skirts

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She was unlike anything he had ever seen before – an ethereal beauty. Dark, silk-like hair cascaded down her back, and those freshly done curls bounced as she strutted across the hall. He had never seen eyes so mesmerizing; he had never seen lips so captivating. Her skin was radiant, from that beautiful face all the way down to those long legs of hers.

She walked past him, and Naruto caught a whiff of perfume. Pink champagne, was it? He didn't have the chance to dwell on it as he watched her rear move around in that fitted pencil skirt. This was the fifth time this month that he'd seen her walk into City Hall and he was starting to wonder if her presence was becoming a blessing or a curse.

It was always such a breath of fresh air to see her walk in and grace him with her beauty – a million times better than looking at unattractive, old politicians. On the downside, Naruto had begun thinking about her in ways that made his pants a tad bit too tight.

That woman just had a habit of popping up in his mind when he had to focus. For instance, he was supposed to be reading up on contracts and loopholes for his law class last night. His mind had other plans as it forced him to think about leaving the most prominent of love bites down her neck all while running his calloused hands down her sides, in between her thighs and –

Goddammit!

This was the only reason Naruto absolutely loathed seeing her. She did things to him that she wasn't even fully aware of and _fuck_ – it was killing him. Who the hell was this woman?

"Are you alright, Naruto?"

The voice shook him from his thoughts and his eyes locked with bright emerald ones – ones that used to make him swoon whenever they winked at him back in high school. "Oh, hey Sakura." He greeted her with a tense grin. A hand subconsciously moved to the back of his head; lightly scratching his blond hair. It was a nervous habit.

With a manila folder tucked snuggly underneath her right arm, Sakura placed her left hand on her hip. She must have just come from the hospital, as she donned her signature white lab coat and wore her stethoscope as a necklace. One of her recently plucked eyebrows went up in question. "Hey yourself. You never answered my question. You look… flustered."

Damn, the effects of that mystery woman were starting to show. "Nah, I've just been pretty busy recently. You know how law school is."

She laughed. "I hear that. This internship with Tsunade is killing me, and it's tough balancing it with medical school. I've hardly got free time anymore." Despite how much she complained about being tired, Sakura looked pretty lively every time he saw her – not a single bag hung underneath her eyes. Naruto's eyes wandered from her face to the manila folder she was carrying.

"So, does Tsunade have you running errands for her too? I usually don't see you here."

She traced Naruto's line of sight with her own eyes and when she found herself looking at the folder, Sakura slid it out from underneath her arm. "Oh, you mean this." She started. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. They're important medical documents that I need to hand over to one of the council members. It seems like they're busy though, since the door is shut."

The door Sakura was referencing was the same one that the mystery woman went in. As if on cue, the door swung open, and she strutted out of there with a rather confident air about her. Sakura bid Naruto a goodbye and headed towards the council member's room, but not before her blond friend could grab onto the sleeve of her coat. "I've got a question for you."

The pink-haired woman snatched her arm from Naruto's grasp and stood akimbo once more. A complacent smirk decorated her lips. "Oh? It better not be another request for a date."

He scoffed. "I haven't asked for one in _years_ – don't look so smug about it." Back in the day, he and Sakura were somewhat of a dream couple. Everyone thought they looked so good together and made goals to be as close as they were. Despite the rumors and stories, _she_ asked _him_ out in the eleventh grade, and the two of them dated well into their junior year of college.

They weren't together anymore, and the best way to explain it was that they simply fell out of love. Naruto loved the chase, and Sakura loved to be chased. At one point, things had gotten so busy in his academic life that he had no time to chase her and wait on her every need. She was obviously upset by this, and that was when the arguments ensued. They fought about everything – from not being able to spend enough time with each other to "I fucking saw you looking at her! Are you gonna start chasing her!?" and "Oh yeah, sure. Have other guys treat you like a princess. Yeah, don't worry, it's abso- **fucking** -lutely fine!"

It was beginning to become toxic, so they agreed to stop there to salvage what was left of their friendship. Naruto was admittedly glad that they did. Their friendship was a rather healthy one now, and with the two of them working towards big dreams and hardly having time to spend with each other, the decision to break up was proving to be a good one.

"I was curious, do you happen to know that girl over there?" He asked, jabbing a thumb over in Mystery Woman's direction. Sakura's eyes scanned her up and down momentarily and she folded her arms, giving a slight nod. "Oh, yeah. I know her."

Cerulean eyes lit up in glee. "Seriously?"

The doctor in training cleared her throat. "Well, I don't exactly _know_ her, but I have interacted with her a few times. She works at that huge pharmaceutical company – Crimson Therapeutics. They pretty much supply most the hospitals from here and even some in Suna I believe."

He was hoping to get a name out of her but that seemed like a dead end. "I see."

Sakura giggled. "Why do you ask?" Naruto's eyes flickered from Sakura to that bomb of a beauty just ways away from him.

"She's gorgeous." He said, his voice laced in awe.

His pink-haired friend shifted her weight onto her right foot. "Yeah, she is. She also doesn't seem like your type at all." It was true. Naruto tended to go for girls who were a bit more brash and wild – a vast difference to Mystery Woman's gentle demeanor and quiet disposition. He liked girls who he could label sexy at first glance and although Mystery Woman was pretty sexy, the words _elegance_ and _regality_ came to mind when he gawked at her for a good five minutes for the first time.

Finally, he shrugged. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I won't try."

"Yeah, okay. Good luck then, lover boy." She teased, then walked off to complete her task. Naruto bit his lip, eyeing the dark-haired beauty before him. This should have been easy. He was always so smooth with women, she shouldn't have been any different.

But she was, and that made him just a _bit_ averse towards her.

He made sure she was finished with her phone call before he strolled on over to her, flashing one of his most confident smiles. She seemed to be taken aback by this as her opaque eyes widened in surprise and she placed a hand daintily over those glossy pink lips.

The lids of his eyes fell slightly, and his smile of confidence formed into a smirk of haughtiness. He had her right where he wanted her. "You know, you're absolutely beautiful and it's sad that that's the only thing I know about you."

Slowly, her brows furrowed and the hand over her lips moved to clutch her pink chiffon blouse at the chest. It revealed those pink lips of hers that were trying so hard not to break into a smile. But when they did and small laughter arose from her throat, Naruto couldn't help but think how cute she was.

"Hinata," she laughed, "Hinata Hyūga."

The name fit her exceptionally well. "I'm-" Naruto began, but Hinata cut him off. "I know exactly who you are, Naruto Namikaze. You _are_ quite popular, what with being the mayor's son and all." Well, anyone who lived in Konoha City knew who Naruto was – besides his good looks and charming personality, it was another reason why he had a multitude of friends and his fair share of lovers.

He gave a low chuckle. "Well then miss Hyūga, how much about me do you know?"

Hinata tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Outside of who you are, not very much." She admitted.

"Perfect. Let's get to know each other more over dinner tonight." His smile was unwavering, but hers quickly turned into a frown.

"I'm terribly sorry, I actually have plans for tonight. Maybe another time?"

The two exchanged phone numbers, and Hinata promised to keep in contact with him before she took off. Apparently, she was still on the clock. Sakura had just finished her task and noticed her friend looking quite blissful. She cocked her head to the side. "Did something happen?"

The blond couldn't contain his grin. "I've got her right where I want her."

* * *

His throat had gone dry from screams so bloodcurdling, they'd make the most sick and demented criminal gasp in horror. He had never felt any pain like this before. How could anyone explain how it felt to have your own flesh ripped from you while still alive and watch as the Godforsaken dog treated it like a chew toy before discarding it; ready to pounce on you once more.

The drool covering him was the least of his concerns, and through all the blood leaking out of him, he was sure he could see his own muscles. The dog grew tired of playing with him and sat down beside him, scratching behind his ear.

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he locked eyes with one of the most beautiful women he had ever come into contact with. However, her opalescent eyes seemed to be rather bored. He knew as soon as he saw her in her little black dress and pistol to match that the end was coming.

He pleaded! One more month – just one more month and he would be able to give them what they wanted! Apparently, that ruffian with the ridiculous triangle tattoos on his face didn't want to hear it, and sent that mangy dog after him.

The clicking of a lighter went off, and he soon heard the exhale of a man. The cigarette smoke burned his nostrils. "Kiba," the man spoke, "it looks like Akamaru is done playing."

He folded his arms and frowned. "Yeah, I know. He's been doing this a lot recently. C'mon boy, don't you wanna play some more?" He barked in response, but made no attempt to move. "Ugh, and I've gotta give him a bath too. There's blood everywhere."

"I keep telling you to control him when we have jobs like this. He makes terrible messes." Shino slid his glasses up on his face. "We can just wait for him to bleed out then. I predict it shouldn't take too long."

His eyes fell on Hinata who had her pistol drawn. It was aimed right for their ex-client's head. "No. I don't want to hear his whimpering anymore."

Kiba gave a hearty laugh. "You're too nice, Hinata!" Her eyes narrowed slightly before pulling the trigger, watching the bullet lodge its way into the man's head. She stared into his lifeless brown eyes for a moment before turning to Kiba. "Do you think so?"

"Of course! In any case, that guy was a chump! With his 'oh, please don't kill me, I'll pay you back before the end of the month' bullshit. He's been saying that shit for the past three months. It's amazing how the boss let him slide for this long."

Shino nodded. "Not to mention he was reselling the coke he purchased from us for better prices."

He gasped. "Seriously!? The fuckin' nerve of this guy! When'd you find that out?"

"Kurenai asked me to track him down a month ago. I didn't find him, but I did find one of his hideouts. Cocaine, heroin… all stuff purchased from us were ready to be sold off again." Hinata spoke. "I even found a duffle bag full of hundreds of dollars in there – it had to have been his earnings. They weren't counterfeits either."

Leave it to Hinata to find a lucky score like that. "So did you take it?" Kiba grinned.

She gave a slight nod. "Yes. It's rightfully our money after all." Maybe rightfully wasn't the correct word to use, seeing as though this entire business was unethical. However, she couldn't afford to play nice, not when everyone else was getting ahead by doing the opposite.

Hinata turned her head towards the lifeless corpse in front of her. All of this could have been avoided if he just paid up. But alas, greed is one ugly sin. Now that he was dead, they only needed to dispose of the body. This was the part she hated the most – the cleanup. She had no problems with committing the murder, nor watching it. She drew the line at cleaning up however, and never did so unless her friends required her assistance. "Hey, Hinata." Shino called. She couldn't really get a good look at him since it was kind of dark. "What took you so long to get back this morning?"

Kiba's eyes flickered towards her too, waiting for her answer. "Mayor Namikaze's son stopped me to ask me out to dinner." She watched Kiba roll his eyes.

"I hate that guy. He's like, the fucking poster boy for _everything_ his dad wants to promote. He's literally everywhere!" He threw his arms up in frustration. Shino on the other hand disregarded Kiba's complaints. "So, have you taken him up on his offer?"

She answered yes, much to Kiba's surprise. In the beginning, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with that man. Sure, he was cute and from what little of him she saw on television, he seemed charming enough but with her line of work and his status, she'd run the risk of being caught.

Now that she found out he was actively trying to pursue her, this made things a little interesting. Hinata thought she'd entertain him for one or two dates and be done with it. With all the work she's been doing, when was the last time she sat down to enjoy herself, especially in the company of someone as charming the mayor's son.

"I advise you to be cautious around him, Hinata." Shino warned. "Why? Because he's got connections. He can have you in jail for life if he finds out about what you do."

"And I'll make sure to kick his ass if I find out something's happened to you." Kiba cracked his knuckles and Akamaru barked in response, trotting over the corpse to sit by Hinata's feet.

Hinata smiled. "Yes, I understand. Thank you all for looking out for me."

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So, I'm unsure if I'll update this or whatever. It was just something I did on a whim. Hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Stiletto Heels

The feedback, follows and alerts I've been receiving for this story have been wonderful. Thank you all so much! I decided I'll continue with the story despite not knowing when I'll update (because that's always fun!) If anyone wants to beta this shit, it would really help me out. Not having one for With Hope on Our Lips destroyed me (I'm still desperately trying to edit typos), and I'd like to not have a repeat of that. So gimmie a shout if you're interested! Alright then.

Please enjoy.

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Chapter 2: Stiletto Heels

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The darkness was something Hinata used to think as an ally. It concealed her presence and made it easier to carry out her job inconspicuously. The shadows had always protected her but she realized it also protected her enemies.

At an abandoned warehouse just on the outskirts of the city, her team had business to do. A politician from New Kiri sent some of his cronies to pick up his monthly fix; opium and cocaine. The last time she had spoken to him on the phone, he had tried to make a joke out of it – saying he was a kid in a candy store and would like to purchase some gum and candy.

She involuntarily rolled her eyes at that statement and had chastised him, informing him that their company would never partake in such criminal acts. He was calling on her on their normal business phone, where the calls were monitored. If he had a lick of intelligence, he would know that all orders went straight to Kurenai on a burner cellphone to avoid any complications. And he was supposed to lead people?

Pathetic.

In any case, once informing Kurenai of the situation, Hinata was told that she, Shino and Kiba needed to deliver the goods that same night and was dismissed – but not before receiving a warning. Apparently, this man seemed to be taking Kurenai for a joke and "forgot" to pay her the right amount of money last month. The red-eyed drug lord was _not_ one to be crossed and made sure Hinata knew the money would need to be paid up front in cash and that every single dollar should be accounted for.

If he was even just a dollar short tonight, she wouldn't hesitate to dispose of unwanted clients. And that was why Hinata was currently positioned at one of the balconies at the warehouse with her sniper rifle, waiting for Shino to give the signal if need be.

She couldn't hear them very clearly, but everything seemed to be in order. Kiba and Akamaru appeared to be calm, so there wasn't much to worry about as of yet. With interactions such as this, Shino did most of the talking. He was articulate enough and had quite the poker face. He was unbreakable.

Kiba sometimes wore his heart on his sleeve and that was bad for business. His anger would get the best of him, resulting in either a bloodbath or failure to collect their earnings sooner. He was always antsy and ready to kill on command.

This made Hinata a bit weary of him when she first met him, but the kindness he showed her on their day off together warmed her heart and he treated her as if she were his younger sister. It was something that she longed for – to know that someone was looking out for her too.

Her eyes widened slightly at the aggressive stance Kiba suddenly took on and she gently placed a finger on the trigger, on high alert and ready for Shino to light his cigarette. That's when she would shoot. However, she missed the signal when she felt a sharp pain from her scalp. She was yanked away from her post by her hair, and a tear formed in her left eye from the monstrous grip this big brute had on her.

A large hand clasped her tiny wrists together and the throaty laugh in her ear sent a shiver down her spine. "Well well, what do we have here? A little spy I see. I knew that bitch up at Crimson couldn't be trusted – and she sent a bunch of brats too. How careless."

Hinata's attempts to wriggle out of her attacker's grasp were futile. He was at least 150 pounds heavier than her and was probably over six feet tall. Hinata was only 5'7 in three-inch heels. Her breath was caught in her throat, and she slightly panicked before the idea to kick him in the shin came to mind.

He staggered backwards, calling her some obscenity before she pulled away from his now loose grip on her. Attacking her from behind was one thing, but Hinata did not take too kindly to hair pulling. Petty high school catfights called for those types of things – not life or death situations over money and drugs.

While the man tended to his aching shin, Hinata regarded this as the perfect opportunity to go on the offensive. Her fist connected with his jaw, and he let out a low grunt before grabbing her by the wrist to fling her to the banister.

Her back hit the metal railing and Hinata let out a small cry of pain before her body had slumped. Her breathing was erratic and her hair disheveled – through some of her locks she could see him charging at her and waited for the last second to duck out of the way. He hit the railing with a little too much force, Hinata noted, as he let out a strained gasp.

She crawled underneath him to get to her purse. It was the closest thing she could reach right now and her pistol was in there. However, this man was persistent in his assault on her and Hinata found herself being dragged on the rough flooring of the balcony by her leg.

Quick thinking caused her to hold on to one of the metal bars of the railing. The grip he had on her leg was a strong one and her sweaty palms couldn't hold on any longer. They slipped, and she rolled over to see the disgusting grin of satisfaction this man donned as he dragged her. Hinata grimaced and shoved her three-inch stiletto heel into his already weakened stomach from when he hit the banister.

He let her go, and doubled over in pain. Now, Hinata didn't consider herself _too_ much of a petty person, but she gave him another swift kick to the face with the foot he had just released – just because he ruined her cute outfit by dragging her across the filthy floor.

Now that he was down, writhing in pain, the dark-haired beauty rocketed over to her purse, pulling out her go-to pistol. She stood over him, gun in hand as she panted heavily. He looked up at her and she saw the blood trickling from his nose. "Heh, you've got balls kid. You think I'm scared to die? You'll be doing me a favor!"

There was no change of expression on her face. Hinata was unreadable. "I've always been told I was a nice person. Completing favors are nothing new."

He let out a low laugh. "Go ahead, shoot. It's not like I'm worth shit on this God dammed planet anyway." Hinata slowly lifted her pistol, aiming it right between his eyes.

"I'm glad that we can both agree on something."

The man cringed, and sweat slowly began to pour from his face. This child was really intent on killing him - his bluff wasn't working at all! If he didn't think fast – surely he would be dead. "W-wait a sec! I can offer you –!" The gunshot rang out through the warehouse and Hinata prided herself on another clean and precise shot. His body slumped and then keeled over. She watched it for a moment before dropping to her own knees. He was stupid, but strong. She certainly would be feeling the effects of their little scrap in the morning.

Now that she was out of her own little world, the sounds of struggles and gun shots from down below were clear to her and she quickly made her way back to her position to take a look at what was happening. When she found Kiba and Shino still alive and mostly unharmed, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Kiba seemed to be holding his own, viciously gutting another one of that strange politician's cronies.

Shino on the other hand wasn't doing too hot. He was hiding behind a large pillar, clutching his left shoulder. Hinata pursed her lips as her eyes darted from him to the man gradually approaching on Shino's right. Hinata's eyes narrowed and her finger gingerly sat on the trigger. She waited until he was close enough before squeezing the trigger, getting a clean shot right through the head. Shino looked towards her direction and motioned for her to come down.

It was quiet, and it looked like these guys had no more surprises waiting for them so regrouping with her friends was easy. As soon as she reached them, she placed a hand over Shino's, the one cradling his shoulder. "Is it bad?" He shrugged off his jacket to reveal the gash running from his shoulder all the way to his bicep.

"I'll be fine." He murmured.

Hinata bit down on her lip. "I… I'm so sorry. If I hadn't missed the cue then –"

Shino held up his hand to stop her. "You don't need to apologize, Hinata. Why? Because I'm sure you had your hands full."

"Yeah," Kiba said. "Just look at your leg. Looks like you got cut kinda bad." Her eyes widened, and she quickly looked down to see that Kiba was indeed right. The same leg that her attacker was holding onto was not only bruised; blood slithered out of the small wound on her left calve.

The adrenaline rush she received from her fight was wearing off now, and everything was starting to hurt. "Yes. I left the body upstairs… What happened with the deal?"

She heard Kiba suck in air through his teeth. "Half of their shitty briefcase had counterfeits in there. That bitch of a man wasn't planning on paying it all from the get-go." He took a pause to look at his friends. They were hardly paying attention. "Look, I'll call Boss Lady and tell her to send someone to clean this mess up for us, alright? You two aren't exactly in great condition to do much of anything right now."

Shino nodded. "I appreciate it."

Hinata gave her own sign of gratitude as well. Now that this was all over with, Hinata just wanted to crawl in her bed and drift off to sleep – but not before taking a much needed bath. She felt absolutely gross. She fell to her knees once more, fatigue finally setting in. Shino noticed this and sat down beside her. "You can rest your head on my shoulder if you need to."

She normally would decline to do such things since she didn't want to inconvenience him but right now, a shoulder to lean on was exactly what she needed.

* * *

She was always dressed so simply, yet elegantly. Her black pencil skirt was neat and formfitting. Her white button down did nothing to hide her curves and she left a few buttons from the collar open. One button lower, and he probably would've been seeing something society regarded as taboo. The pearls around her neck accentuated those opalescent eyes of hers quite nicely and Naruto concluded that she looked rather lovely with her hair pulled up in a ponytail.

Her newest accessory was bothering him quite a bit though. On her leg, a gash surrounded by purplish bruising was prominent and he had to wonder how she obtained it. Was it an accident? Or maybe she had run into some trouble one night. Crime in Konoha City was starting to become more rampant and he hoped that she would take good care of herself.

When he saw that she was done with her task, Naruto hurried over to her. Concern was apparent in his eyes. "Hey, Hinata. Is everything alright?"

She titled her head to the side slightly, giving the blond a quizzical look. "Um, everything is fine. Is… something wrong?" He shook his head. "No, but… what happened to your leg? It looks painful."

Hinata looked down at the wound she had received last week. It looked much better now and was healing quite nicely. However, this was the first time she had seen the mayor's son in since that incident so of course he'd react in a panic as soon as he saw it. Her eyes met his and she graced him with a warm smile. "Please, don't worry about it Mister Namikaze. I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Hey playful tone relaxed him just a little, but he was still concerned for her. His hand instinctively reached out to touch the side of her cheek as his eyes watched her intently. "I'm serious when I say you should be careful. Konoha's a wonderful city, but it reeks of crime. Promise you'll be careful?"

It took all of Hinata's willpower to keep from laughing. She was one of the people who had a hand in raising the rate of crime in Konoha – if anything, _he_ should have been being careful. She knew people who would have loved to cut his head clean off of his shoulders just because he was the mayor's son.

Nevertheless, her smile widened. "Yes, I'll be sure to do that. Thank you." For another moment his hand lingered at the side of her face, his thumb gently brushing her cheek. Hinata blinked. "Is there… something else?"

Naruto nodded and his look of concern was replaced with a rather flirtatious one. His hand traveled from her cheek to hold her chin and his thumb rested right underneath those soft pink lips of hers. He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but Naruto was a gentleman and would refrain from planting a kiss on a woman he hardly knew in a place like City Hall.

Now, if it were the club or something of that nature, that would've been an entirely different story. "Don't think that I forgot about our dinner date."

"With that statement, are you trying to insinuate that I forgot about it?" Hinata asked. Naruto, who was slightly thrown off by her genuinely curious question drew his hand away from her and shook his head vehemently. "No, no. Not at all!"

She let out a small giggle. "Tomorrow night at seven, yes?"

"Yeah," Naruto gave a chuckle of his own. "I'll see you then?"

"Of course." Hinata smiled, under the presumption that she'd only see him once or twice.

However, she hadn't planned on seeing him so many times this month. Tonight was their fifth night out together and Hinata was actually enjoying herself. They planned on meeting at the boardwalk and Hinata found it a little strange for a night out but after spending time with Naruto, she learned that he could be a pretty down to earth guy.

They sat at the end of the boardwalk with their shoes off to the side, kicking their feet under the light of the moon. The gentle whispers of the waves splashing against the shore numbed her body with a serene feeling, and the cool breeze of the night tickled her bare skin.

The last time she remembered being able to sit and enjoy her surroundings was when she was a teenager, still in high school. When they spent their summers together, she would always wake up Neji to watch the sunrise with her. It was the start of a brand new day, something she thought she would enjoy with someone special. Even when he was away, she'd still watch the sunrise, and hoped that he was as well. It was okay because they were looking at the same sky.

After she turned 16, she never watched another sunrise again – because it wouldn't be the same without him.

When she was 18, she was so busy that she hardly had the time (and money) to eat or sleep – sitting around to watch the clouds go by was out of the question in her schedule.

Now that she was 23, pushing on 24, watching the moon cast its benevolent light on them felt beautiful. It was a lovely change of pace from risking her life on certain nights when asked. And Naruto was proving to be wonderful company. He made her laugh – though 40% of those times weren't by actual jokes and she was laughing at his playful nature.

He was intelligent – and had to be if he was ever going to pass his Bar Exam. That intrigued her; the fact that he wanted to become a lawyer and not a politician like his father. He said that he looked up to his father, but he wanted to protect people in his own way and becoming a lawyer seemed like the right course of action.

Naruto was an admirable man, she had to admit, but Hinata would have to cut him off rather soon. Earlier today, her sister stood by the door frame of her bedroom, telling her that the tabloids were calling her "Naruto's Mystery Girlfriend."

She remembered her eyebrows knitting together in annoyance and her sister reached for a rolled up magazine in her back pocket saying, "See? They even have your silhouette with a question mark on it on the front page!"

Hinata really had to stop hanging out with him soon – for the sake of protecting her reputation against those muckraking journalists… If one could even call them that.

The reporters were beginning to get annoying. They followed her to the entrance of Crimson Therapeutics every day for the past two weeks and to the parking lot when she left work. Hinata was quite upset when she adjusted her rear view mirror one day to see them right behind her in their own little car. She was forced to drive all the way to a different part of town to rid herself of them.

This was beginning to get risky. She couldn't afford to have them trailing her during a job.

If one of those reporters followed her and walked in on something they weren't supposed to see, she'd be forced to kill an innocent person to save herself and the people she worked with. Taking an innocent life didn't sit too well with her, but it was for the greater good. Most of the people she knew were only doing this "side job" to help support their families. If they were all thrown in jail, many families could suffer and she didn't want that resting upon her conscience forever.

Yes, cutting her ties with the mayor's son would be a smart move. Hinata's eyes widened for a split second and she turned to see Naruto's large hand resting on top of her small one. He gave another sly grin and she pulled her hand away from him, staring up at the moon with a content smile as she could hear him whine about how cruel she was.

Hinata laughed. Maybe just _one_ more date wouldn't be too harmful, right?


	3. Silk Blouse

I just want to say that the other night I watched Magic Mike and I know what I want to do for my 21st birthday. Can someone say Naruto male stripper AU next? Nah, I'm kidding - I can't pull that off. But it's nice to imagine. Anyway, here we go.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 3: Silk Blouse

* * *

The nine to five grind was a tedious one. It wasn't the work load that drained her, but rather the people she worked with. Hinata had to put up with them for _seven_ hours, five days a week – sometimes the full eight if she worked through lunch or ate at her desk.

There was this man who worked three floors below her and would find any excuse to come up to talk to her. He was an older man, in his sixties (Lord knows why he was still working here) and used to brag about his wife and children often.

That didn't bother Hinata in the slightest. She loved learning about the different types of families people had. It sort of relieved the stress she'd get from thinking about her own family for long periods of time. What _did_ bother Hinata was the fact that he would often flirt with her despite the fact that he had a wife and children. He would even place his hand on her shoulder and give it a light squeeze. Each time, Hinata shrugged it off and told him she was uncomfortable.

He would apologize and then do the same exact thing the next day. He disgusted her.

Next was a guy around her age who was _painfully_ pretentious. He recently graduated from college (and never failed to let everyone know about that and his computer science degree) and never shut up about technology – like how he thought Leaf Books were superior to PCs and how _sophisticated_ his new Leaf Watch was.

The guy would also talk down to Hinata sometimes, as if she didn't know how to do her job. That irked her.

Last but certainly not least was a redheaded woman with a thick New Kiri accent who spoke way too fast and gave too much information about her life. She'd pop her gum obnoxiously for an hour a day and then proceed to talk to Hinata about how annoying her mother was as well as her very recent trip to the gynecologist.

Talking about trips to the gynecologist was never a bad thing – every woman had to go at some point. What was bad was that this woman never failed to tell her about her trip in _detail_. Hinata absolutely loathed the people she worked with.

She gave a small sigh as the redheaded woman who sat in the cubicle next to her whined about how her mom was being annoying this week – something about not letting her boyfriend stay in her house or something like that. Hinata wasn't really paying attention. When her office phone rang, she swore that she would start going to church more often. "I'm so sorry, I need to take this." She smiled at her coworker sweetly before answering her phone. "Hello, Crimson Therapeutics."

"Hello there beautiful." Came the familiar husky voice on the other end of the line. Her eyes widened slightly and she swiveled her chair around to face as far away from the nosey redhead as she could.

"Naruto," her tone was hushed, "what are you doing calling me at work? And how did you even get my number?"

He gave a light chuckle. "The receptionist forwarded me to your line when I asked for you." Oh, duh. "And I know you're not super busy since you were texting me a few moments ago, so I thought I'd call to see if we were still on for Friday night."

Hinata couldn't help but smile. She had been dodging his requests for a date for two weeks straight but apparently Mister Naruto Namikaze was quite tenacious. He'd stop to talk to her every chance he got when she had to visit City Hall and once sent flowers to the office for her. The bouquet of lilies currently sat proudly atop her desk in a small vase. In all honesty, she would have liked to go on a date with him sooner but she had more pressing matters to tend to. Now that her schedule was somewhat free, how could she say no to that adorable man?

She twirled the chord of the phone on her index finger. "Yes, we're still on for Friday night. You didn't have to call to confirm."

"Yeah, I know," he laughed, "but I just wanted to hear that beautiful voice of yours one more time."

A light giggle escaped Hinata's lips before she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You do know these calls get monitored, don't you?" Her eyes darted to the caller ID. Kiba was on the other line. "Hey, I have to go, okay? I'll text you?"

Naruto wished her a great rest of the day before hanging up and she switched the line over to Kiba's. "You're not calling me because you're bored, are you? We're on the same floor, you can just come up to my desk and talk…" She could hear his exasperated sigh.

"You and Shino pull this crap all the time – no! I've only done it like, what, three times?"

'Yeah, three times this month.' Hinata always kept a mental note. "So, why are you calling?"

There was a small pause. It sounded like he was rummaging in his desk drawer for something. "Boss Lady wants to see us. She says it's important." Something important meant that they'd have another job to do.

Why was it that they had so many jobs recently anyway? Not that she was complaining – that's where most of her bonuses came from anyway – but it was strange to her that so many people weren't on board with paying the money for goods. Then again, this wasn't a very moral business so she guessed that it called for customers who weren't very moral themselves. "Alright, I'll be there in a few."

When she had arrived with Kiba and Shino, Kurenai motioned for the door to be closed behind them. Her red eyes were focused on the sheets of paper sprawled out on her desk. They were pretty text heavy but Hinata didn't think they had anything to do with the "important" thing she wanted to discuss.

The boss's eyes flickered up to meet the gaze of her employees, and she lightly cleared her throat. "Did you three hear? There's a huge meeting at City Hall for the senators and such tomorrow. Mister Sasaki will be there."

Kiba scratched the side of his face with his index finger. "Sasaki… Ain't that the politician guy from New Kiri?" Kurenai gave a small nod and they all knew where this was going.

"You'd like us to take him out?" Shino asked.

Kurenai shook her head before leaning back in her chair. "No. He's here from tomorrow until Saturday and I want him to be brought to me so that I can personally deal with him. You can take out anyone who gets in your way, but do _not_ kill him. I want him by Friday."

She shifted her gaze to Hinata, who had bit down on her bottom lip. "Is something wrong, Hinata?"

Hinata's eyes went wide with the sudden calling of her name and Kiba let out a laugh before draping his arm around her shoulders. "She's just upset 'cause she won't see her boyfriend on Friday."

Kurenai's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend." Hinata frowned. "And I will see him on Friday because I will catch Mister Sasaki before then." She had quite the personal vendetta against that vile politician. First he attempts to swindle her boss out of her money, which affected her paycheck, then he sends his goons to attack them – and the amount of pain she was in the morning after was horrendous!

Now he wanted to cut into her free time? Well, he had another thing coming. Sasaki was _lucky_ she was ordered not to kill him. "Well then," Kurenai spoke, shattering Hinata's thoughts. "If your personal life was getting busier, why didn't ask for some time off?"

She shook her head. "I really need the money and –"

"I'll tell you what. If you catch him by Friday, you three can have a two-week paid vacation. You are my most trusted group, but I think we can handle things without you guys for a little bit. Does that sound good to you all?"

The room was silent for a moment before Kiba's face broke into a grin and he began to cheer. "Seriously? Hell yeah! This is awesome!" Shino gave his own sign of gratitude, as did Hinata, but she was astonished.

Two weeks' worth of paid vacation? She'd have so much time to spend with Hanabi – so much time to herself. This would be a great thing; maybe she could even go out of the country. After all, she did have the money for it now.

Now she couldn't wait to get her hands on that New Kiri politician. The sooner she caught him, the sooner her vacation would start.

* * *

He knew Hinata was beautiful from the moment he first saw her. It just rubbed him the wrong way that _other_ people knew how beautiful she was too – especially a certain politician from New Kiri who was older than his father.

Mister Sasaki wouldn't stop flirting with her, and he shouldn't have let that fact annoy him (because Mister Sasaki would _really_ stand a chance against the young and good looking Naruto Namikaze for a chance to win Hinata's favor) but it was practically eating him up inside and he hated it.

Naruto would watch heatedly as the politician's hands would gingerly touch Hinata's shoulder, and he'd cringe when Mister Sasaki would squeeze it, lightly bunching up the silk fabric of her blouse. Hinata was a gentle and sweet woman, but she was no pushover. She removed his hand from her shoulder and said that she should be going back to work, but Mister Sasaki offered to walk her to the entrance of City Hall.

The blond wasn't attempting to listen in on their conversation but he wasn't willing himself to tune them out either. "So tell me Miss Hinata, where is it that you work?" Her smile was as bright as ever when she told him her position at Crimson Therapeutics and Naruto could have sworn he stopped breathing for a moment. "A-ah, I see… So you know Kurenai Yūhi very well then?"

The look on Hinata's face was of pure innocence. "Not very well actually. I know of her, but what would the CEO of the company want with a desk jockey such as myself?" He let out _the_ most snobbish laugh Naruto had ever heard in his entire life – and he's visited a few country clubs before.

"Who wouldn't want anything to do with you? You're beauty is absolutely remarkable." A light giggle bashfully escaped from Hinata's lips as the politician went on. "Oh don't be so modest – you really are. Oh, your voice sounds so familiar, have we spoken before?"

She nodded. "Yes, but you were asking about something very strange; something that we don't sell."

He gasped. "Aha! You were the woman with the bedroom voice!"

Bedroom voice? The nerve of this guy – casually flirting with Hinata as if he didn't have meeting to be at in five minutes! As they walked past him, Naruto wasted no time catching up to the two of them, calling Hinata's name out in the process.

She was a bit startled upon hearing it, but once she recognized the voice her smile widened. "Naruto! It's nice to see you again." She chirped.

"Likewise." He chuckled. "Hey Mister Sasaki!"

The older gentleman gave a curt nod. "Naruto." The blond could sense that Sasaki wasn't very pleased with him for interrupting his chat with the lovely Hinata Hyūga, and Naruto understood completely. Honestly, no one wanted the attention of someone like that stolen from them.

However, Naruto could care less. "My dad actually sent me over here – said the meeting was about to start soon and you should be heading back right now. It's important, isn't it?"

Mister Sasaki stammered. "W-well yes but…"

Naruto's eyes darted from Sasaki to Hinata and then back to Sasaki. "Oh! I see what this is about. Don't worry!" He grinned cheekily and he draped an arm over Hinata's shoulders. "I'll make sure she gets out alright, okay?" The two watched as the politician nodded dumbly before heading off towards one of the conference rooms. "He didn't really have to go yet, I just thought I'd help you out a bit. Your smile was bright but your eyes screamed 'save me'." He laughed.

Hinata couldn't stifle her own giggle. "Well, I'm very grateful that you intervened. Thank you."

"Anytime. I dunno about you, but I'm super excited for Friday. I haven't gotten to spend time with you in a while." Hinata bit her lip to keep from smiling, but that failed terribly. Who knew the Mayor's son could be so cute?

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and hit him with one of the warmest smiles she could possibly give. "That makes two of us. I think you should take your arm off of me before the paparazzi flocks over here."

Naruto quickly removed his arm from her and gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, s-sorry about that, haha." She gave a small wave goodbye and he watched her walk out of City Hall. It was interesting, really.

In the time that they had known each other, Naruto didn't really know much about Hinata at all. She was very mysterious, and she would always ask him questions about his life. Other than that, they'd flirt or chat about current events. Other times, they would stay silent and enjoy each other's company.

And he loved doing that, but he would have also loved to get to know her. They had gone on several dates over the course of three months, he should have at least known something about her, right? Something more than just her favorite treat or song – something personal.

He swore to himself that he'd find out something absolutely astronomical about her this Friday night.

* * *

She had texted about 15 minutes ago that she was going to be running late tonight – not that Naruto minded. Hinata was apparently a very busy woman and he was intrigued with how well she could multitask. That would be another thing on the list of things he wanted to ask Hinata about tonight.

Naruto stood outside of the pasta restaurant they agreed to meet at tonight, idly playing with his cellphone. The heat of the day was gone now, and a gentle breeze swept through the night, ruffling his blond hair ever so slightly. From across the street, Naruto could see a very familiar silhouette. He squinted is eyes slightly before they widened in slight surprise. What was Mister Sasaki doing here? Shouldn't he have been in his hotel room? He was supposed to be getting back to New Kiri pretty early tomorrow.

The blond shrugged it off and went over to talk to him. Upon his arrival, he could see the politician was a nervous wreck. He was sweating pinballs and looked absolutely out of sorts. His pupils were dilated and Naruto was beginning to get worried. "Uh… Mister Sasaki, are you okay?" He questioned.

The older man turned towards him with a rather stupefied expression. "N-Naruto! Oh, oh Naruto my boy… They – they, them! They're after me… After me!" He took the blond by his shoulders, his fingernails lightly digging into his skin.

Naruto pushed the politician away from him while giving a puzzled look. "Okay, wait. Who's after you? Who are 'they'?"

Sasaki's shoulders began to heave and he placed a pale hand on top of his head. "Th-they! The dog! And the man with the dog… and then the other man… and the woman! Oh my God, the woman! She – she's from…! You have to help me! You have to see! I don't know where my body guards are!"

He blinked. "Whoa, Mister Sasaki… are you _on_ something…?" Soon, Naruto found himself being yanked into a nearby alley way with no idea of what was going on. Shouldn't they have been calling the cops? This sounded like a job better suited for the Konoha Police rather than some 23-year-old law student who had only ever been in two bar fights his entire life.

It smelled absolutely rancid back there. And not only that, but it was kind of dark and Mister Sasaki was beginning to ramble to himself like a mad man. They had slowly descended into the backstreets of the alleyway and it wasn't until he could hear footsteps that weren't his own that he realized the murmurings had stopped and that Mister Sasaki wasn't with him anymore.

Maybe he should be calling the police. Mister Sasaki seemed to be on some wild LSD trip, and Naruto couldn't find him no matter how hard he searched. It would have been best to let professionals handle something like this anyway. But who would have thought that Mister Sasaki was into some hardcore shit? Maybe the politician wasn't as stuck up as he originally thought. Naruto pulled his cellphone to call for an emergency but didn't even get the chance to finish as a resilient force knocked him against the brick wall of a nearby building.

His phone clattered to the ground, and he was sure it cracked in several places, but that wasn't important right about now. His attacker, whose face he could hardly see thanks to the dim flickering of the streetlight, roughly pressed his right forearm against Naruto's chest which made it a little harder to breathe. He would've pushed back, but a cold sensation met his abdomen, and he shivered. It was a gun.

Okay, Naruto was fairly positive that Mister Sasaki was on an LDS trip but he was also starting to come to the realization that maybe he was right – there were people after him. Fear washed over him, and suddenly, breathing was becoming a hell of a lot more of a problem than it was about five seconds ago.

The pressure against his chest tightened and Naruto gritted his teeth. "Where's Mister Sasaki?" The voice was low and deep. Could this have been one of the people Sasaki was talking about? Sweat began to fall from his brow.

"I… I dunno. I was just with him and –"

The gun pressed further into his abdomen and the blond cringed. "Where are your comrades?"

Comrades? Was this guy on something too? As if he were some spy or some shit! Naruto didn't come here with anyone else besides the man that this guy was looking for. And now the two of them couldn't find him. "I don't have any "comrades" man!" His voice went just an octave higher than he wished but he couldn't help it. "Mister Sasaki took me here himself 'cause he needed help but –"

Naruto was cut off once more by the man's deep voice. "Enough!" A gunshot rang out and Naruto's mind went into a flurry of emotions and terrible thoughts. This was it. He was dead. He was sure he lived a good life, but to die while so young? There was so much that he wanted to accomplish before he left this world.

However, he wasn't feeling any pain. No, far from it. Actually, the pressure on his chest was now gone. When he opened his eyes, the man who pinned him against the wall lie crumpled on the concrete floor, unmoving. Naruto's eyes shifted from him to his "savior" – or so he thought, because now the other gunman was just a few feet away with their gun aimed straight at Naruto's forehead.

His hands shot up in the air like rockets. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! W-wait a sec, I haven't done anything! Don't shoot!"

A light gasp came from the gunman, and they lowered what Naruto could only make out as a pistol. "Naruto?"

He blinked. That sweet, gentle voice was sounding pretty familiar right now. "I-is that you, Hinata?" he asked incredulously. It was kind of hard to see, but if he squinted hard enough, he could make out certain attributes of her body that sort of confirmed that she was Hinata. Naruto stepped over his attacker's body to get a closer look and could feel his eye starting to twitch. "Wha? Why the hell are you here? And – and with a gun!?"

"Me!?" She whispered harshly. "You're not supposed to be here, you were supposed to wait outside the restaurant for me!"

His mouth hung open in disbelief. "I'm sorry, wait for you to do what exactly?" He pointed to the body of his attacker just behind him. "You just… Is he even –?" Another gunshot rang out, startling Naruto. Hinata took an aggressive stance before grabbing his wrist.

"Stay close." Was all she said before running off with him. He followed her blindly – what could he do? His phone was probably broken, so he couldn't call for help and Hinata was his only source of protection since she had a gun on her.

But everything was so surreal. It was as if she were a different person. This wasn't the sweet and demure Hinata that he knew… but now that he thought about it, he really didn't know anything about her. This was her lifestyle. This was probably the real her, and the cute angelic Hinata was just some front she put on to trick others.

And boy, did she trick him alright!

He didn't dare utter another word to her. Soon, he could hear murmurs – ones quite familiar. Mister Sasaki! He had almost spoke out to Hinata to tell her that they needed to save him but his voice was caught in his throat after she guided him to a section of the backstreet alley where the lights were brighter and he could see two men and a huge dog standing over a terrified looking Sasaki, whose hands were tied behind him.

Then it clicked. _These_ were the people the politician was warning him about. The guy earlier was Sasaki's bodyguard… mixing him up with these people. Naruto's skin had become as white as porcelain, and his heart almost stopped when the guy with triangle tattoos on his cheek shot him a menacing look.

"And just what the fuck is _he_ doing here?" Then his eyes shifted from Naruto to Hinata, and the blond watched as his face took on an expression he could only describe as "I fucked up, didn't I?" A facial expression that he knew all too well. "I uh… I ruined your date, didn't I?"

Hinata folded her arms across her chest and slightly puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. The man wearing shades stuffed his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "We'll take Mister Sasaki back to the boss. I think you have your hands full right now."

"I'm sorry, kay? I really thought we had him yesterday, and I was so sure we wouldn't need you to do anything tonight…" The man with the triangle tattoos spoke. "Does that mean you're gonna have to take him out now?"

"Kiba." The other man scolded.

Kiba shrugged. "My bad. I'm just sayin'. He's seen shit now – how else are you gonna keep him from squealing?" Naruto felt as if he were going to faint. "I mean, whatever you wanna do Hinata – it's your call. Tell us if you decide to though. We know how much you hate cleanup."

Hinata gave a long sigh before her eyes bore right into Naruto's, which were looking pretty fearful right now. "We need to talk." She said, and he did not refuse her. There was no way in hell - he was way too terrified to do so.

Well, he said he'd find out something astronomical about Hinata Hyūga, but he certainly was not expecting this. Just what the hell was going on?


	4. Lace Panties

So, I've been dying this entire week. Between dress shopping for a wedding (not my own), working, and renovating our kitchen, I'm tired! But I'm getting shit done! (My apologies for any errors I've missed.)

Also, **random716** , I admittedly don't know a whole lot about the black market BUT I have been reading up on drug cartels... and then I spent a good hour and some reading about drug lords in the past. It was an interesting read. But I digress.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Lace Panties

* * *

"What the hell was that!?" Naruto hissed, throwing his arms up in frustration. Ever since he took Hinata back to his condo, he'd been pacing around his living room while Hinata calmly sat on the sofa. Her hands were folded in her lap and her eyes were closed, as if she were in deep thought. She was like this ever since they arrived, and her growing silence increasingly annoyed Naruto.

He was doing his best to stay calm, but how could he? There was a murderer sitting on his couch right now, and she wasn't answering any of his questions. Was she ignoring him or something? Because _that_ was really going to earn her some points with him.

He gave a frustrated sigh but continued to pace around the room. "I just – I can't believe –! When were you gonna tell me you were a _murderer_?" Hinata's eyes shot open to find his cerulean ones, and she frowned.

Her position on the couch never changed though – she was as poised as ever. "That is not what my occupation is." Her voice was as soft as usual and that was a bit unnerving to Naruto. How could she tell him such a boldfaced lie like that when he had _watched_ her murder someone with his own two eyes?

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose and the sigh that escaped him came out a little too exasperated. "Okay. Then help me to understand what exactly it is that you _do_."

The dark-haired woman before him crossed her legs and closed her eyes once more, trying to find the right words to describe her occupation. "I'm a delivery girl… of sorts." She answered and Naruto was even more confused.

He released the grip on his nose and slightly cocked his head to the side, his brow raising in question. "So, you deliver people?"

Hinata shook her head. "No. Not very often anyway." His eyes narrowed. She didn't want to outright tell him that she was some sort of mishmash of a part-time hitman and drug dealer for a woman who treated her as if she were her own child. That would be way too complicated to explain and it'd be such a long story. Hinata thought she'd try to make her job sound a little less… vicious. "I work under a drug lord. At night, I get sent out to deliver goods to our clients – much like a pizza delivery boy or something."

The blond could feel his eye twitch slightly. "So you go out delivering weed?" Her gaze sharpened under three seconds flat. Had he offended her?

" _No_ , I don't go out delivering little baggies of weed – this is high stakes. My team gets called to deliver cocaine, opium, LSD, meth –"

Naruto's hands clasped onto his head. "Oh my God! I've been dating a drug… delivery girl who's also a hitman!"

She shook her head. "I'm not a hitman. I mean, killing _is_ in my job description, but my main objective is to deliver the goods and collect payment. Best case scenario is when our client gets their order and we get our money and go our separate ways."

"And the worst case scenario?" Naruto asked.

"We don't get our money and are killed. But that's never happened since we're all still alive." Hinata watched as Naruto tried to process her words.

He frowned at her. "So… killing other people doesn't constitute as a bad scenario?" When she gave a small "no", he was starting to think that bringing the woman with a gun in her purse into his home wasn't his most brilliant idea.

Sweat gleamed from his brow and after he parroted "no?" Hinata began to explain herself. "Well, the only reason I'd have to take someone out is if we don't get proper payment. We don't want clients that steal from us so we get rid of anyone who isn't reliable. I don't just go around killing people for absolutely no reason."

'Coulda fooled me…' Naruto thought with a nervous gulp. "Okay… So, all that with Mister Sasaki earlier… was that…?"

"Yes." She answered. There wasn't even a trace of guilt on her face. "He's not a very reliable client, so my boss wants to deal with him personally. These things happen." Naruto stared at her in shock. Was this what she was doing all this time in City Hall; making shady dealings with the politicians? Did his _dad_ know about this!?

He fists were beginning to ball up. "Why? Are you working with my dad too? Is _he_ in on this shit too?" Minato was someone Naruto aspired to be when he grew up. Intelligent, hard-working, honest – was his father really in all of this… this fucked up shady business?

Much to his relief, Hinata shook her head. "No. I'm sure he suspects what's going on but there isn't much that he can do about it right now, what with many of his coworkers using our services, so we're sort of in charge for now."

"And just what're you planning to do? Are you trying to undermine him or something?"

Hinata wanted to laugh but that would've been highly inappropriate considering just how serious and upset Naruto was by all of this. "I may not like Mayor Namikaze, but that doesn't mean I want to undermine him. I'm not a part of any extreme anarchy or anything, nor do I delve into the politics of all this. I'm just a delivery girl waiting for her next paycheck."

She made it sound so harmless, but he had witnessed just what goes on during her usual delivery route and he was not fond of it. Hinata stood up from the couch, making the blond tense up for a moment. "Well, I'll be taking my leave from you here."

Naruto blinked. "Wai- what? Why?"

The brunette shifted her weight onto her right leg while lightly rubbing her left arm with somewhat of an apologetic look on her face. "You're awfully cute and fun to hang out with but our lifestyles just don't mesh very well together. But you don't need me to tell you that, you saw what happened tonight."

Indeed he did, but he was having trouble catching up with everything. She was kind of a coldblooded killer… he knew he should've been doing something about it but she was also this insanely beautiful woman that he had gone on several dates with over the course of three months and he was so freaking curious about her!

She picked up her purse and headed towards the door, but not before Naruto could grab hold of her wrist. Bad move. Muscle memory kicked in and she used her free arm to twist his. Not hard enough to break it, but it wasn't exactly the most gentle of actions. In shock, the blond quickly let go of her wrist as she stared him down with slightly narrowed eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" Her tone was authoritative.

He gave a nervous smile. "N-nothing I just wanted to get your attention…"

Hinata let go and watched as he tended to his arm. She shot him another apologetic look. "Sorry… After everything tonight I'm still on high alert. Your arm is okay, right?"

"No, no, it's fine. I shouldn't've grabbed you like that." Was he sure he wanted to tell her not to leave just yet? "Uh… Listen. I uh… Are we really leaving this as is? I mean, 'cause I dunno what this meant to you but I was having a good time before all… _this_."

She stared into his eyes for a moment, attempting to get a good read on him. He looked sincere enough and she was starting to feel a little bad for the guy. "I'm… not looking to enter a relationship, if that's what you're asking."

Naruto frowned. "No, that's not what I'm asking; other than your line of work, I don't even know a thing about you!"

"That's a good thing."

"It is not!" He cried, startling Hinata in the process. "I _want_ to know more about you – as crazy as it sounds." He watched as she turned her head away from him, refusing to look him in the eye. Was she just stringing him along for a joke or something this entire time? It gave him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He knew that their relationship wasn't anything serious but Naruto couldn't deny how into her he was. It was a bit off-putting to think that she might not feel the same. He reached for her hand, this time a little more cautiously, and she finally turned to face him when he grabbed hold of it.

She had never seen such intensity in his eyes before – what a change of pace for the usually upbeat Naruto Namikaze. He had her attention. Once Naruto was positive that she wasn't going to attack him for suddenly touching her, his left arm wrapped around her waist and her drew her closer to him.

Their heartbeats were almost in synch with one another; beating as wildly as ever. Hinata's purse slowly slid off of her shoulder and she set it down gingerly on the floor by the couch before placing her hand on his chest. It was at that moment Hinata had realized just how small she was in comparison to him. He towered over her like a giant and with her guard down like this, it was a bit daunting.

His face inched ever so closely to hers and she hated that she didn't back up or push him away. She hated that she _wanted_ him to kiss her, despite her mind reminding her of Shino's warnings. Getting mixed up with Naruto was such a bad move but when the warm sensation of his lips pressed firmly against her own, every nagging little voice in her mind slowly began to disappear.

Her hand left his so that both of her arms could wrap around his neck securely while his hugged her at her waist. Lips rolled over each other passionately and their breathing became heavier with each passing moment. His hands began to roam around her body, feeling the curve of her hips, the suppleness of her ass through her skirt; any qualms about just how wrong this was were gone at that point. She was in love with the present.

Before Hinata knew it, she was pinned up against the wall. Her fingers began to tug at the back of his shirt when his lips met her neck; his tongue dancing along her skin. She shuddered when his breath warmed her neck and let out a light gasp when he sank his teeth into her.

Smooth legs wrapped around his waist in an attempt to bring them even closer, and the thin fabric of Hinata's skirt was beginning to ride up. Naruto's grip on her hips were firm and he let out a low grunt as he pressed up against her. Her cheeks were a rather bold shade of red; and for good reason too.

Hinata was so embarrassed by herself that she wasn't able to control herself around him. The grinding, the light moans that escaped her – she hadn't felt this good in such a long time. The sensation of him rubbing against her through dampened lace panties jolted through her entire body, leaving a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. The huskiness of his voice whispering in her ear made her whimper. Her breathing was now erratic and her legs began to tremble – the feeling of Naruto grinding into her was becoming overwhelming.

She grabbed hold of his face to gaze right into his eyes. His eyes were looking a bit startled and he was starting to wonder if he had taken it a bit far. Naruto had only meant for the two of them to share a kiss together – the first one in three months of dating. But then one thing led to another and he was starting to live out one of his more recent fantasies. So when Hinata parted her lips to breathily say "I want you…" words couldn't even begin describe the excitement Naruto felt.

The clothes came off quickly, decorating the wooden floor of Naruto's condo. Hinata was sure that he had even popped some of the buttons of her blouse in the midst of it all, but that was highly unimportant right now.

What was important was that she was straddling him on his couch; her lips meeting with his for a moment as he worked to unhook the bra that held the weight of her breasts. Once unhooked, he quickly discarded it and gave them a light squeeze, eliciting another moan from the dark-haired beauty on top of him. His thumb repeatedly flicked her hardened nipple while his left hand clenched at her waist.

She broke the broke the kiss and filled the room with her lustful cries while her partner for tonight didn't hesitate to move his lips over her breasts; kissing them tenderly until his lips met one of those pink nipples that he had enjoyed tugging and pinching. Hinata let out a sharp gasp when the warm feeling of his tongue grazed them and her now semi-glossed lips formed a small 'o' shape when his lips tugged on them.

Hinata was only wearing her drenched lace panties at this point, but somehow, she was feeling just a tad bit over dressed. "Protection…" She managed to call out and he glanced up at her, lost in his own feelings of lust. She repeated herself, and Naruto removed his mouth from her breasts as he watched her with wide eyes.

She frowned. "…You were going to have sex with me without protection?"

Naruto shook his head vehemently. "No, no, no!" He could hardly catch his breath. "I wasn't… I wasn't planning on having sex with you at all but my _God_ I really want to now. But uh… We can't 'cause –"

"Because you don't have protection." Hinata's arms were now folded across her chest. He nodded and decided that she was pretty cute when sexually frustrated. Naruto gave low laugh before pushing Hinata on her back. She laid on the leather couch with a mystified expression before Naruto rested her legs on his shoulders, pressing his lips against the wet piece of fabric that used to be Hinata's panties before giving a carnivorous grin.

"Let me make it up to you then."

* * *

The two of them laid tangled up on the couch together. Sweat glistened off of their nude bodies, and their breathing had finally begun to calm down. He was in such a daze, his mind replaying the way she made him feel just moments ago. Hinata was amazing – everything he thought she would be and then some.

Naruto learned that Hinata only _pretends_ to be all innocent and submissive. She was quite commanding in bed (not that Naruto minded hearing such a sweet voice utter lewd desires) and she was pretty rough with him when almost at her limit (he was sure she would've crushed him between her thighs before she even finished climaxing).

However, she was the opposite when it came to pleasuring him – something he was very grateful for. A small smirk played upon his lips as he twirled one of her silky locks around his index finger. He was feeling like a god.

Yeah, tonight was perfect.

Well, it was almost perfect if it weren't for – if it wasn't for all of the crazy shit that prevented their date in the first place! The realization pierced through the haze of his elation like lightning.

He was just intimate with the woman who deals drugs and kills people for a living! What the fuck was wrong with him!? His body tensed and his eyes drifted over to the seemingly innocent Hinata Hyūga who was starting to doze off on top of him. What even were they anymore? They weren't an official couple and he wasn't really sure if she was someone he could call a friend. "Uh… Hinata?" He called out to her.

She mumbled a low "Hmm?" as she gingerly rested a hand on his chest. "Does this make us enemies with benefits or something…?"

Hinata's brow furrowed and she practically had to peel herself from Naruto to get a good look at him. His body cried out when her warm skin left his own, not liking the feeling of the cool air allowing for shivers to climb up his spine. "I told you that I'm not trying to undermine your father so we are not enemies. Besides, do you really want _me_ as your enemy?"

Naruto swallowed hard as he reminded himself that this was the same woman who almost broke his arm two hours ago and could have killed him in an alleyway earlier tonight. "Point taken." He mumbled. She cupped the side of his face and her opalescent eyes stared right into his cerulean ones.

"If you think that way about me, why do you insist on wanting to know about me? There's nothing very noteworthy about me. You even said it yourself, that I was a murderer." Her tone made it sound like she was genuinely curious and that was sort of off-putting for Naruto.

That was one question he couldn't answer. This was all way too confusing to him as well. He loved how cute her giggles were and how soft-spoken she was. Her beauty was unearthly and she was always poised and level-headed.

However, she was merciless while at work – killing without so much as a second thought about whether or not that person had a family waiting for them or friends they had planned to hang out with that same day. That was terrifying to him.

What made his heart sink two days later was when he and Sakura sat on his couch to watch television (he could never tell her what happened there if he wanted to live) and she accidentally flipped the channel to one of the more popular news stations.

 _"And in other news, New Kiri politician Masakazu Sasaki was found dead in his hotel room earlier this morning. Cops say that the cause of death was due to an overdose of illicit drugs and are continuing to investigate."_

"Woah…" Sakura mumbled. "I never would've thought he had some type of drug issue… That's really tragic. If only someone sent him to seek help or something before it was too late, don't you think Naru- Naruto?" The usual shine his eyes held was gone, causing them to look lackluster and his skin had gone pale. He looked sick. "Naruto, are you alright?" She asked, lightly placing a hand on his shoulder.

He blinked, not even bothering to look at his pink-haired friend as his eyes were fixed on the television screen. "No, it's just… I saw him. Friday night – I saw him. He looked like he was on some weird LSD trip and then I lost sight of him. But if I didn't maybe I could've –"

Sakura gave his shoulder a small squeeze as she tried to put on a reassuring smile. "No, no! Don't be so hard on yourself! You couldn't have possibly known about his addiction and stuff! Besides, you were going out with your dream girl that night, weren't you? You had plenty of stuff on your mind and –"

She went on for a while and Naruto was unintentionally beginning to tune her out. She didn't understand. She didn't know that Mister Sasaki was actually murdered. And the worst thing about it was that whoever Hinata's boss was made it look like an accident and no one suspected a thing. No one except him.

But he couldn't just go to the cops and tell them what _really_ happened. As soon as word got out that he ratted Hinata and her group out, he was sure to be their next target and there was no doubt in his mind that they'd catch him.

If only he called a cab for Mister Sasaki, or offered to take him to the police station or something, he'd still be here with his daughter and soon to be grandchild. And it fucking _hurt_ to look into that woman's dull, pain-stricken eyes and tell her how sorry he was about her father who lay in a casket not even five feet away from them.

His remorse ate him up for weeks on end but what really made him sick to his stomach was that even after all of this, he'd sometimes still lie in bed with the same woman that helped Mister Sasaki reach his demise. Who on Earth _does_ that?

Naruto Namikaze, that's who.

He couldn't help himself! She was insanely gorgeous and being intimate with her was almost therapeutic in a way. It was always passionate and sometimes even rough – something that released all of the pent up anger and stress he would keep to himself. The blissful post-coital feeling would always last for a good ten minutes before guilt would begin to consume him.

And he tried cutting her off by attempting to see other girls or occupy himself with schoolwork but those beautifully shaped, double lidded white eyes with the lavender tint haunted him not only in his dreams but while he was actually conscious.

He couldn't keep himself away from her and he was starting to think that maybe he should've let her walk out when he wasn't totally obsessed with her. Naruto gave a long sigh, running his fingers through his hair as Hinata curled up next to him. "I uh… I went to Mister Sasaki's funeral a few weeks ago." He mumbled.

Hinata could feel his body tense and her eyes fluttered open. There was a slight hitch in his breath when he spoke and Hinata wondered if they were close. "How was it?" She asked and Naruto cringed.

"Miserable." He responded grimly. "Do you _really_ have to ask?"

"I apologize." She spoke with such sincerity and yet, Naruto had slight trouble believing her. "So, your boss met him that night right?"

She nodded he gave another heavy sigh. "And your boss is the one behind Mister Sasaki's death?"

"You shouldn't have to ask that, Naruto."

He shouldn't have, but some naïve part of him was praying that maybe it was just a coincidence her boss wanted to see him or maybe the boss did want him dead but he somehow escaped and got shitfaced after doing some more wild drugs.

But apparently, Hinata was far too much of a realist to let him believe that for even a second. "Why then?" He asked. She shot him a questioning look and he pressed on. "Why do you do that kinda stuff? I mean, I know somewhere deep down that you're a nice person, aren't you? So why?"

The silence between them stretched out for a very long time and Naruto waited patiently to hear her answer.

She licked her lips and turned away from him. "I do this… because I simply want to." And with that, she sat up to remove herself from his bed. The first thing she had plucked from the floor were pink lace panties and she shimmied into them before collecting the rest of her things. Naruto watched as she buttoned up her blouse slowly. "And for the record, I am not a very nice person…"

Naruto noted that she didn't keep eye contact when she said this. "I need to go. I'll… see you some other time, yes?"

"It's like two in the morning, Hinata." Naruto said with a deadpan expression. "Just come back to bed."

"I can't. I have something I need to take care of."

Naruto frowned. "Work stuff?"

"I'm not at liberty to say." Then she was gone, leaving Naruto to sprawl out on his bed. If there was anything he knew about body language, it was that eye contact was key in communication. Not once did she look at him, and it led him to believe that she was hiding something yet again.

This woman was driving him to insanity with her cryptic ways, and Naruto still stuck around for the ride.

Maybe venting to a friend would help lower his stress levels.


	5. Oversized Hoodie

Yo! If you're not following me on scalding – coffee – cup . tumblr . com (remove the spaces) then you're missing out! This chapter was put up there first _and_ contains a smut scene. It's edited out in this version. So if you like smut, go read it on there. If not, you can read it here (wanna keep my readers who aren't into smut happy.)

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 5: Oversized Hoodie

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was never a morning person. Recently, he had been spending much time in his office – going in early to complete paperwork and staying behind in meetings that seemed to drone on forever. Today was his off day and he had planned to sleep in the whole morning, make himself a nice pot of coffee and read the newspaper.

His plans were thwarted, however, when incessant banging came from the door of his condo. He was willing to ignore it but then it became louder, and louder, and louder. When yelling accompanied it, the Uchiha rolled over to see that his clock read 9:48 a.m. and gave a heavy sigh before planning to murder the fool who dared to wake him up so early in the morning.

Would it have been too obvious of a lie if he had said he wasn't expecting Naruto Namikaze?

Probably.

It was now 10:30 and Sasuke sat on one of the barstools in his kitchen, sipping a hot mug of coffee as his childhood friend paced around his living room, babbling about his dream girl he had been seeing recently and how she was all types of crazy.

"You know," Sasuke began, cutting Naruto off mid-rant, "you've been here for almost an hour complaining about this woman who's supposedly crazy and yet you haven't told me a single thing she's done that would constitute her as actually being crazy."

The blond let out a sigh of exasperation and his posture slumped. "Sasuke, man! You gotta believe me! This woman's actually crazy! No joke – she is!"

He took another sip of coffee. "Mmm, so what'd she do? Hold you at gunpoint or something?" Yes, actually! She fucking did hold him at gunpoint! But he couldn't reveal that to Sasuke, oh no, no, no. If he did that, she'd definitely finish the job this time. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If she's so crazy, then why are you still seeing her? You went on for months about how she was easily the most beautiful person you'd ever met and now she's crazy?"

It was always the pretty ones that were insane. Naruto folded his arm for a moment, closing his eyes in thought. "It's kinda shitty to admit… but the sex is **_amazing_**." His eyes shot open and he ran up to the island counter, standing right across from Sasuke. "She's so amazing! Like she literally gives the best head ever, oh my God!"

Sasuke grimaced. "Okay. You know what, you're right. She is crazy. She's gotta be if she puts up with your bullshit." He placed his coffee mug on the counter and buried his face in his hands. "I know I am."

Naruto's dreamy smile turned upside down and he groaned. "Sasuke, c'mon! I'm being serious! Like, she just – I don't know anything about her other than where she works and she's super defensive when I ask about her… I'm surprised Hinata even told me her name with how secretive she is –"

"Hyūga?" He asked, his face now out of his hands.

Naruto blinked. "You _know_ her?" He cried incredulously as Sasuke shook his head. "No, not personally. But I know of her – or rather, her family name." He took another sip of coffee and Naruto sat down on one of the bar stools, waiting for Sasuke to continue on. "The Hyūga corp. was this huge oil company – the CEO and my father were somewhat of business rivals."

"Was?" The blond questioned.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "I mean, it still is a big company, but the name changed a year after the CEO died. Apparently, this Hinata person was that man's child but she doesn't have access to it at all. Some obnoxious woman that I've had the pleasure of working with a few times owns it now."

Someone else owns it? Usually parents write away things like that to their kids in their will, right? "But, couldn't that person be her mother?"

"I doubt it. I heard that the father remarried years ago – it's not likely that he'd give his ex-wife anything."

Well this was interesting… Naruto had learned something new about Hinata, but what could he do with that information? And how could it help him piece together who she really was? The only thing he could infer was that she needed cash since her family company wasn't hers anymore, but why that job?

She could've taken a regular job somewhere else – he was sure of it. She was intelligent and resourceful; both exceptional qualities any employer would love their employees to have. So how did Hinata get mixed in with all of those people? Unless she really did like that kind of lifestyle and her father took her out of the will as punishment.

But she was lying to him. Her body language told him everything; she wasn't doing this because she felt like it. Naruto hummed in thought for a moment, resting his whiskered cheeks in his hands. "I think I'll talk to her about it." He said finally.

"Yeah, and maybe you can go talk to her about it outside of my apartment. Now go away, I need to sleep."

* * *

Every time the two of them would bask in post-coital bliss, Hinata would find herself staring into Naruto's bright eyes that showcased traces of satisfaction and delight.

They were so interesting.

Those cerulean eyes looked at Hinata a lot differently in bed than they did elsewhere. They'd roam her entire body; creamy legs taught and firm, the smooth curve of her hips, her toned stomach. They'd stop and linger at her large breasts for a while before scanning her up and down again with a lustful look to him.

Her body was sparsely littered with scars – some from five years ago and some just weeks old. All of them told a different story – stories she never thought she'd say aloud after a few rounds of sex. After Naruto laid down next to her to wrap her in his arms, his hand grazed the side of her left shoulder feeling some sort of welt.

His thumb brushed over it again and again as she started to frown. She never cared those types of things – her scars would never leave her, so she never stressed over them. Not until this moment, however. Naruto was her only lover who bothered pointing out her flaws and this was starting to make Hinata a little self-conscious.

His intense gaze met her meek one and she sat up to look at one of the bare walls of his bedroom. "How'd you get this?" He asked, his eyes never moved from her. She bit her lip and her eyes narrowed. "…Why does it matter?"

Naruto sat up, using his free hand to turn her face back towards him. "Well, you never answer my questions about anything else. It wouldn't hurt to tell me about this, would it?" Hinata breathed heavily, licking her dry lips. He wasn't asking his usual hard hitting questions which was a relief, but having to answer any questions about herself made her a bit uncomfortable.

Other than her sister and teammates, there was no one else she spoke to. Hinata had no other friends or a life outside of crime. There was nothing to her; nothing remarkable or interesting – she was a blank page. Hinata didn't really have any hobbies and when she wasn't spending time with Hanabi in her free time, she was sleeping.

She truly was a bland girl. "This… I got this from a bullet two years ago. It grazed me."

"And how did that happen?" Naruto questioned.

Two years ago, Hinata was 21. She was requested to dig up any information she could against a rival company, one that did shady dealings as well. Apparently, Kurenai wasn't particularly fond of the big boss there as he constantly got in her way and sought out to undermine him. While Hinata was checking out a hideout that another team of Kurenai's was _supposed_ to clear out, a bullet whizzed right past her, just grazing her shoulder.

She was lucky that her attacker didn't have great aim because she would have been dead for sure had it been anyone else. The darkness played out in her favor and she left with valuable information and some pocket money for her troubles while leaving a fresh corpse to rot away in the abandoned hideout.

She expected to hear Naruto cry out in horror or scold her for telling her story so nonchalantly but instead she felt his hand lightly trail down her side, past her hips all the way to her thigh. His fingers ran over a light scar there and he looked at her with enquiring eyes.

That one was from a sword that was pulled on her last year. Her team had a run in with a gang who didn't believe in guns and wanted to carve them up with katanas, as if they were samurai or something. They put up a pretty good fight and were quick on their feet. If she had been any slower in dodging their attacks, her leg would have been sliced off.

Naruto shivered at the thought of Hinata getting her leg hacked off but moved his hand down to her calve, touching the scar he saw as a battered wound months ago. Hinata almost laughed at the thought, remembering how alarmed he was when he first saw it and advised her to take care of herself. She told him about the fight she had with that big brute of a man who had the audacity to snatch her by her hair. Yes, she was still a little upset over that little tidbit.

For a little over half an hour, Naruto continued to let his fingers trail over the marks on her body as she told him about how they came to be. There was another welt on her knee, hardly visible but he could feel it. His blue eyes looked at her once more and she crossed her arms in front of her, as if to hide herself. "…I received that one when I was nine."

He pulled away from her with concern washing over his features. "That wasn't from all this… was it?"

"No…" She breathed shakily. "I… My cousin and I were playing around in the garage of my uncle's home. It was an accident. We were on top of a table, pretending to be a circus act, I believe. I think it was my idea. I wasn't as graceful back then as I am today." A laugh escaped her, one that Naruto never thought she could produce. It was somber, yet peppered with nostalgia. "I fell, and on my way down, a piece of scrap metal tore into me. I cried so hard and I wanted to scream, but my cousin placed his hand over my mouth and told me we would be in so much trouble if our parents found out.

"He fled to go get a first aid kit as I laid there, thinking that my life was over. He came back and cleaned it for me and helped me as I limped out of the garage and to the couch where we spent the rest of the day together. Our parents did end up finding out and we got into so much trouble…"

"Do you even get to spend time with your cousin anymore with your busy lifestyle?" Naruto teased. His grin faded away when he noticed her eyes soften. "No. He's dead."

A wave of guilt crashed down on him. It should have been obvious something happened with how bittersweet all of that sounded but he didn't think it would have taken such a dark turn. "I'm so sorry…" He murmured, unable to meet her gaze.

She shook her head. "Don't be. He was… a wonderful person; always looking out for me and following me on my many whims." She never spoke about Neji to anyone because it hurt. At that time, Hinata didn't have any friends to speak of besides Neji, and she was okay with that. She confided in him all of her woes and doubts as she'd listen to his rants and console him whenever it was needed. They were inseparable, and the bond between them was something that held significance.

So when Hinata learned of her cousin's fatal car accident, a piece of her went along with him. After that, her life seemed to slowly descend into hell, and it was something that she'd sometimes blame him for. Maybe if he was still here, he could've helped her figure out another way to live life without the constant fear of risking it. Neji always knew what to do and how to do it. He was a genius.

After days of being angry about his death when she first learned of it, she'd lock herself in her room and cry for hours because it wasn't his fault that he was gone and it wasn't his fault that she was stuck in this miserable life where no one understood her. She constantly mourned him, never able to get over the fact that she'd never see him again; her only friend. She had to stop when her father died a year later. But she didn't mourn her father at his funeral, only the shambles of her old life that he suddenly crushed without any remorse.

However, going on all those dates with Naruto before all of the complications made her feel like she was 15 again. The memories were something she could look back on and smile about for the first time in eight years. Maybe that was why she couldn't turn away from him, because he dulled the pain.

Her body involuntarily shuddered as Naruto pulled her naked body from behind in a hug. "Do you think he'd be okay with your line of work?" White eyed widened and her body hunched over. He'd never approve of her lifestyle now – surely he'd be disappointed but what else was she supposed to do?

"No, but… I have to."

Naruto rested his chin on her shoulder, his lips brushing up against her ear ever so slightly. "You told me last time it was because you wanted to, but now you have to?" His hold on her was firm and his breath tickled her ear, sending a nasty shiver down her spine. Never in her life had she felt so exposed. She wanted him to stop but his embrace was warm and comforting; something she didn't know she longed for until now. "Why Hinata? Why do you do it? Someone like you could have found another way –"

"You don't know that." She bit out as she stood up to remove herself from him. She faced him, shooting him a hard glare but Hinata looked as if she were about to crack at any moment. "Don't talk as if you know what I should do."

Naruto's lips contorted into a frown as his eyes held somewhat of a dull look to them. "Hinata. I never said any of that. I may not know what you should do, but this shit isn't it."

"Yes it _is_ Naruto. You don't understand – you don't get it! You've always had money – you don't understand how it feels to _struggle_. Regular part-time jobs can't put food on the table while paying rent. They can't do that while paying college tuition. They can't do that while paying for medical bills!" Naruto was starting to look like a blur of yellow and blue due to the tears welling up in her eyes. "Everything… Everything I've ever done in this life of mine is for my sister. She needs me… I can't… I-I can't –!"

Hinata had never felt this weak in her entire life. She was pathetically crying in front of her lover stark naked. In embarrassment, she turned her back on him as she was unable to control her sobs. Hinata worked her ass off to make sure Hanabi could live life comfortably and absolutely different from her own. She wanted her to experience things she never got to; having a multitude of friends, higher education, long lasting happiness; all things Hinata wanted so desperately but wasn't able to obtain.

She worked to make sure Hanabi's heart condition was in check and that they had the money for medication, doctors' visits and another surgery if need be. Hinata was constantly working because no one cared about Hanabi like she did. And Hinata would be damned if she lost the only family member she had left.

All of a sudden, a plush like material enveloped her, shielding her from the cool air that nipped at her back. She looked back through teary eyes to see that Naruto had draped his oversized orange hoodie over her shoulders. Cautiously, Hinata pushed her arms through the sleeves before turning to face him. He zipped it up to her neck, never breaking eye contact with her.

"I knew you were a good person somewhere deep down." His gruff voice cut through her sniffling and soft whimpering. Hinata let him wrap his arms around her waist to pull her in close. She let him rest his chin on top of her head. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

She tensed up. "Please don't tell anyone. I… I don't want her involved in any of this. I just want her to be happy." He promised he wouldn't tell a living soul. Naruto sat on the edge of his bed with Hinata in his lap, intently listening as she spoke about her sister. "Her name is Hanabi and she turned 19 in March. She's in her second year of college right now and she's doing exceptionally well.

"Her heart… doesn't beat normally; arrhythmia, the doctors said it was. She's been that way since she was a child. She's had to go through surgeries for it, the most recent one was about a year ago. She's okay… it's not as if she's bedridden or anything but it's difficult not to worry about her."

He lightly drummed his fingers on her thigh. "Does she… know what you do?" Hinata nodded. "Yes, but she isn't fond of it. For good reason." For Hanabi, it wasn't so much as the killing people that made her dislike her sister's occupation, but the constant fear of not knowing if Hinata would ever come back home.

But Hinata could never allow it. It was a kill or be killed kind of world and Hinata did not plan on dying just yet. "How come you guys didn't inherit your father's empire? It would make things easier on you both." It would, but they didn't inherit it so things would never be easy on them. She shook her head, telling him that she wasn't comfortable talking about it and he dropped it.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, taking in each other's presence before Hinata glanced at Naruto's digital alarm clock. 2:07 a.m. "I have to go." She started, removing herself from Naruto's warm embrace once more.

"For work again?" He questioned.

"No. For Hanabi."

* * *

Naruto had let Hinata keep his hoodie, and she was admittedly happy about this. Wearing it almost felt like the way he held her two weeks ago. The smell of his cologne still lingered, filling her nose with the earthly scent. A small smile spread across her lips at the memory of that night.

It was uncomfortable at first, sharing such personal things about herself that no one else knew. But confiding in Naruto was liberating. Never had she felt so at ease in the past five years. And after she ran him through a loop, Hinata was so surprised that Naruto was kind to her – sending her text messages to make sure she was eating properly and getting enough sleep all while balancing school work for his last year in law school.

She hugged herself in his hoodie, taking another long inhale of his scent. "Oh, what's this? You've gone back to wearing hoodies that don't fit you again?" Hinata turned to see her younger sister leaning on the doorframe to her bedroom, a usual occurrence. "Seriously though Sis, that thing is way too big and doofy. Why're you wearing it?"

Hinata partially covered her face with the neckline of the hoodie. "It's a present."

"Don't tell me your _boyfriend_ bought it for you." The younger of the two Hyūga siblings teased before watching Hinata shake her head. "If you're insinuating that the mayor's son is my boyfriend, than I can assure you that you are wrong."

Hanabi crossed her arms over her chest. "So then what is he if he's not your boyfriend?"

Another smile graced Hinata's lips and she thought of her blond lover so fondly. "He… is my friend." He had to be, right? She'd never open up like that to him if he wasn't and he wouldn't have tried to get to know her if he didn't believe he wanted to be a companion to her. There was a connection somewhere along the line of their time together, and she was willing to see it through to the end.

To know that her sister had made a new friend made Hanabi's heart swell with joy. A large grin became prominent on her face before nimbly making her way towards her sister's bed, jumping in to it face first and lying on her stomach. Hinata lightly reprimanded her, saying she had just made the bed. Hanabi waved her off before rolling over to face her. "I'm super excited you have a new friend to talk to."

Her grin faltered and her own opalescent eyes met Hinata's. "It's refreshing to see you happy. You haven't looked that way since your last relationship…" She knew that it was a bit of a sore spot for Hinata, but it was true. "I… It hurts to watch you constantly in pain… And that probably sounds really shitty of me to say since you're the one feeling the pain but… you deserve so much better than this. So, I'm really happy you. It's so nice to see a genuine smile on your face."

"But what about you?" Hinata asked, her voice revealing concern for her sister. "I mean you –"

"Don't worry about me. That's what meds and surgeries are for. There's no pill that helps out financially and there's no surgery that makes you happy; you have to find that all on your own. And you're doing it. I just wish you wouldn't give me heart attacks with what you do." She joked.

Hinata gasped. " _Hanabi_! That's not funny." The elder of the Hyūga sisters gave a stern look while the younger wiped a tear from her eye as she gave a hearty chuckle. "Haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're too easy to rile up." Actually, Hinata was a rather calm, level-headed person. Hanabi was the only one who could actually set her off and that was due to her habit of making light of her heart condition, especially in serious and stressful situations.

Hinata took it upon herself to guard Hanabi's life with everything she had. She couldn't lose another loved one. She refused to. "Seriously though Sis, it freaks me out when you don't come home from work. And I wanna call you or text you but… I don't want to be the cause of more of your troubles."

More of her troubles? "Hanabi, that isn't true." She groaned before sitting up on the bed. "C'mon, don't treat me like a little kid. If I wasn't around you'd just be doing you – having a job, maybe settled in a relationship; stuff like that."

"And would a life like that really be okay knowing that I lost basically my entire family?"

Hanabi bit her lip. She was being insensitive again, wasn't she? "No, no! I didn't mean – I just –! Ugh! What I'm trying to say if that you'd be better off financially without me. And don't deny it 'cause you know it's true."

Hinata's arms instinctively wrapped around her younger sister. "But I'd rather a life filled with committing crime as long as it kept you in my life safe and sound."

"Ugh! I haaaate it when you hug me. Stop it." Hanabi whined and her sister tightened the hug. After a few moments had passed, Hanabi's cheeks were a light shade of pink and she smiled. 'I would never want to live in a life without you either, Sis.'


	6. Diamond Ring

So, this was written so quickly because I had nothing to do at my internship.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6: Diamond Ring

* * *

Hinata hadn't been seeing much of Naruto due to his preparation for the bar exam. When he wasn't in class, he was seated before a mountain of open books at the library until the wee hours of the morning. When their schedules did align, Naruto would entertain her for a half an hour before falling asleep. When she'd wake him, he'd insist that she stay so that they could catch up or something before slumber would creep up on him not even five minutes later.

For working so hard, Hinata thought she'd make him his favorite; spaghetti and meat balls. That guy was a pasta fanatic so hopefully he'd appreciate her act of kindness. When she reached his apartment, the sound of another woman's laughter rang out. It made her knees quiver and shortened her breath.

She thought she'd heard it before a _very_ long time ago. Sure, it sounded a little different, but time changes a lot of things; including the sound of a familiar voice. Hinata panicked when the sound of the doorknob reached her ears and she fled all the way down to the other end of the hall and turned the corner.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and the brunette bit down on her lip and closed her eyes, trying to keep what was left of her composure. The door finally swung open, and she could hear the woman's voice more clearly. "Tell me when you get the letter, I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors, Naruto!"

She could hear his gruff voice give a chuckle. "Yeah thanks. Also, thanks for giving me the invite. But don't people usually mail these things out?" The woman let out a sigh of exasperation. "I know but I left someone else in charge of it and apparently they screwed up. If you want something done, you've gotta do it yourself. Anyway, I've got a **ton** of planning to do. I'll see you later."

"See ya!" The door closed, and the sound of clicking heels fading farther away meant that the woman was headed in the opposite direction, which was a good thing. Hinata waited a moment before turning her head around the corner to catch a glimpse of this woman, but all she caught was long blonde before it disappeared behind another wall.

The voice, the blonde hair; it sent a shiver up Hinata's spine. But maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe she was just hearing things right? That could've been it. Things had gotten a bit stressful for her at work lately and she herself was so sleep deprived and hopped up on caffeine that she was a bit delusional, and that was okay. The remedy for that would be a nice long nap curled up in her own bed.

Hinata exhaled slowly before standing upright to march back to Naruto's door. After giving the door a firm knock, the blond opened it, very pleased with what he came face to face with. "Hinata! Just the person I wanted to see. And with a present?" He inquired with a grin.

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before handing him the foil pan. "Yes, it's your favorite; spaghetti." The thought of the woman from earlier was still bothering her and it was driving Hinata insane. She gave a small nod as Naruto expressed his gratitude. "I just stopped by to give this to you. Good luck with your studying. I'll see you around sometime."

Naruto's brow rose. "What? You don't wanna come in or anything?" She shook her head and he placed his dinner for the next few days on a nearby side table before reaching to take hold of her hand. Now, Naruto was able to touch her without fear of her trying to break his arm and it was honestly the best thing that had come out of their recent friendship, next to the sex. "C'mon, we can watch a movie or two. It'll be fun."

"You'll just fall asleep." Hinata countered.

He laughed sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. "Or we can just sleep, if you don't mind."

She did mind. "I'm terribly sorry, but I really have some important things to do. Maybe another time, yes?" She lied. His pouting face made something in her heart stir, something she didn't quite like. Cerulean eyes bore into opaque ones for a moment before Hinata sighed in defeat. "I… I guess I can do them later –"

Hinata didn't even get to finish her sentence since Naruto practically yanked her from the hallway and into his condo. The place was an absolute mess. Books were strewn about all over the floor and couch, empty mugs of coffee piled up in the sink – it also looked like he didn't even have the time to water the abundance of plants he housed.

What was clean was his refrigerator. When Hinata went to place her homemade spaghetti in there, she was surprised to see that nothing but some condiments were in there. Did he not have the time to go grocery shopping? "C'mon Hinata! Hurry up, I'm tired!" He whined.

"You can go ahead without me, I'll be there in a moment." He did as he was told and Hinata spent a little over an hour and a half cleaning up his condo. She went the extra mile to stack the books in alphabetical order, dust every nook and cranny, wash all the dishes thoroughly _and_ did a bit of grocery shopping. Hinata even watered the plants – because she loved plants. They would always hold a special place in her heart.

When she finished unpacking groceries, she trudged over to the couch, not feeling strong enough to make it to the bedroom. To think that she'd spent a part of her day cleaning a friend's house. She didn't mind though. Uncleanliness drove her up a wall and gave her the urge to clean. That and Naruto's been having a rough time – it felt good to do something nice for a friend once in a while.

She didn't even get to lie down for a minute before Naruto's bedroom door swung open as he complained about Hinata not being with him before pausing to look around his place. The blond peered over the couch to tap the brunette on her shoulder. "You did all this for me?" Hinata gave a weak nod, ready to finally get some sleep, but not before Naruto made his was around the couch to scoop her up bridal style. "You are a nice person, you really are."

He gave a light chuckle, noticing that she was starting to zone out. When they laid cuddled up together, Hinata let out a content sigh. This was a type of physical closeness she hadn't experienced in a while; the feeling of another person's arms wrapped securely around her while she buried her face in his chest, legs tangled together, slightly rubbing against one another – even the sound of light, easy breathing made her feel at peace.

It was a stark contrast to their little **_celebration_** that occurred after Naruto found out that he passed the bar exam weeks later. Sweat clung to their bodies as they lay haphazardly over one another, trying to catch their breaths after a much needed love session. Naruto was satisfied, and Hinata was too, but she couldn't enjoy the after effects.

She had heard the voice of that same blond woman in his apartment _again_ and it gave her a feeling of discomfort. Naruto could feel her body tense. "Somethin' the matter, Hinata?"

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Who was that woman in your apartment the other day?" Naruto was taken aback by this as her voice sounded slightly accusing, but he brushed it off. "Uh, that was a friend of mine. Her name's Ino –"

"Yamanaka?" She asked. Why did she even bother? Her first name wasn't all that common. Nonetheless, Naruto nodded and shot Hinata a huge grin. "Yeah! I didn't know you knew her! Man, if I knew that, I would've asked her about you a long time ago."

Hinata bit her bottom lip. "How do you know her?"

"Hmm, we met in college around junior year. She was a transfer student." Under Hinata's slightly intimidating gaze, Naruto felt compelled to give her more information. "And we may have had a one night stand together on multiple occasions during senior year." He watched Hinata's face sour slightly before turning away from him. "What? Don't tell me you're jealous or something." He joked.

Was she jealous? There was a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach but she couldn't describe it. And it wasn't like she had any right to be jealous anyway. "So, how do _you_ know Ino?" Naruto questioned, rattling Hinata out of her thoughts. Her gaze was fixated on one of the walls of Naruto's room, and her expression had gone soft.

"I… We were in love."

* * *

She was feeling anxious; so anxious that her mind kept replaying the memories of her and her ex-girlfriend. The two of them had met when Hinata was just 18 and hunting for jobs to support herself and Hanabi. It was by chance that there was a help wanted sign on the door to the Yamanaka Flower Shop and it was fate that the person running the register at the time was a blonde bombshell – something that always intimidated Hinata.

Her bright smile and warm, welcoming voice had placated Hinata's nerves and she was able to tell her that she wanted a job there. Soon, things had worked out for Hinata, and she was working two jobs – not that she minded. She would do anything to keep 13-year-old Hanabi safe and sound.

It also didn't hurt that she got to work side by side with her bubbly blonde coworker who never failed to put a smile on her face. Working at the Yamanaka Flower Shop felt less like work and more like fun; to see Ino's shining face almost every day and to finally have a friend to talk to.

Hinata told Ino everything. Some days they'd sit in the green house while on break for Hinata to confide in her while on others, Ino would tell Hinata about her dreams of becoming a famous pop star, despite not being able to sing very well. They'd laugh together, they'd cry together – it was the perfect friendship.

One evening during closing time, Ino turned on the radio to make cleaning up a little more fun. Hinata stopped sweeping to let out a light giggle as her blonde friend danced around the shop; very gracefully might she add. With an outstretched hand, Ino asked Hinata to join her for a dance and the brunette reluctantly agreed.

She wasn't as graceful as Ino, stumbling on their new dance floor a couple of times. Once she got the hang of it, the two of them were perfect partners; gliding on the dance floor smoothly and elegantly; hand in hand and fingers laced together. That was when it happened.

Ino had gone to dip Hinata and they held that position for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them minded – the rapid heartbeats and heated faces just felt natural in that moment. A cute laugh bubbled from the pit of Hinata's stomach, causing Ino to panic, feeling embarrassed about the entire situation. The brunette apologized, saying that she was happy she and Ino could share a special moment like this.

That was when Ino had gone in for the kill and kissed her.

For an entire year, the two of them spent a considerable amount of time together. Ino taught Hinata about the language of flowers and would often sent her home with a few while Hinata worked hard to make Ino the best pudding she possibly could. At one point, they even baked some together as Hanabi watched from the kitchen table, clicking her feet together as she smiled the whole time.

It was probably one of the best years of Hinata's life.

Then it all fell apart when Ino had announced that her family was moving to Suna for a while. Hinata was sure her heart broke into a few pieces. What was worse when then the some of the broken shards came back to cut her once more. Because the Yamanaka's were leaving Konoha City, they had to take the shop with them, leaving Hinata to desperately find a new job, and giving her the frustration of not being able to find one.

And she wished so badly that she could keep in contact with Ino but she had denied herself the luxury of having a cellphone, reminding herself that Hanabi's medication and upcoming surgery were more important. Even so, Hinata still looked back on her relationship with Ino. It was her first and only. Everyone who came after… well, she would have liked to have one, but her current occupation made it quite a pain to do so, so she gave up on finding a relationship that would ease how she felt about Ino.

Now, Hinata couldn't help but sneak glances across the room of Naruto's apartment of the woman who made Hinata happy. Naruto invited her to a party, one for celebrating his passing of the bar exam with a bunch of friends; old and new. She had never been one for parties or alcohol and left the cup she was holding on the windowsill to stand out on the balcony. Maybe that would help relax her nerves.

"Maybe I should just go home…" Hinata sighed, resting her arms on the railing.

"Oh, you were always such a party pooper."

Hinata gasped, whirling around to find the one person she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to tonight. Ino looked even prettier close up; time was very kind to her. She frowned and turned away from her, causing Ino to place a hand over her chest as if offended. "Oh come on Hina! Aren't you happy to see me?"

She wasn't sure actually. Hinata remained silent and Ino joined her at the railing of the balcony. The silence between them wasn't awkward which was surprising considering that Hinata's heart felt like it were about to burst. "You… must hate me." Ino said with a heavy sigh.

The brunette's eyes widened before finding Ino's head hung low. "What? Why would you say that?"

"I left you when you really needed me."

"I… could never hate you. Especially over something that wasn't your fault to begin with… I was just so sad…"

The blonde lifted her head to look into Hinata's eyes. "I was too. When we moved back here, I was so happy because I thought I'd see you again. Took me like, what? Four years? Some friend I am." There was a pause. "I never forgot about you though. Even if you felt like I abandoned you, I always thought of you and hoped you were happy. Because you deserve it."

She hadn't really been at her happiest, but to know that Ino thought about her all these years made her feel warm inside. "I'm really happy that you think so. Honestly… the past few years have been tough…"

Ino shot her an inquiring look and Hinata told her about being fired from her other job and struggling to find a new one while Hanabi prepared for surgery. A little after her 19th birthday was when Kurenai had hired her, and the money began to flow. "I'm so sorry Hinata. I truly am. I wish I was there for you…"

"You were always thinking of me, weren't you? As long as I was in your thoughts, it's okay."

"As selfless as always. You're still the same Hinata from way back when." She teased.

A soft laugh escaped from Hinata's lips. "You haven't changed a bit either…" Not even in appearance. She grew her hair out past her butt, and her baby face had smoothened out but those were the only notable changes. Hinata's line of sight lowered to check for any other changes until it reached – "Is that…?"

"Hmm?" Ino followed Hinata's line of sight until it landed on her left hand where a particularly extravagant diamond ring decorated her ring finger. "Oh this. It's my uh… my engagement ring." Hinata couldn't help but feel a slight pang in her chest.

"Congratulations; and I sincerely do mean that. Do they… make you happy?"

Ino let out dreamy sigh. "He… makes me feel like I'm in a day dream. He's an artist; quiet, reserved – kind of blunt but you know, everyone has their faults." She laughed. "Every day is an adventure together and I'm so thankful that I could experience something like that again." Hinata noted that the time she and Ino spent together did not fade away on Ino's mind when she left.

The corners of her mouth began to involuntarily twitch upward. To hear Ino speak so fondly about her fiancé, and to see her smile as bright as she first remembered seeing it – that made Hinata feel wonderful. Ino was happy, and that was all she could ask for. She was feeling anxious about talking to Ino again for the first time in years, but it wasn't so bad.

After years of wondering about her, it was honestly liberating to know that Ino had everything she wanted in life and the two of them could hopefully rekindle that friendship that they once shared. "So, since when have you and Naruto been a thing?"

"We're not a thing." Hinata answered and Ino tapped her finger lightly on her chin. "Hmm… Maybe not, but he seems super into you. I think you should try it out."

She shook her head. "I've got a lot to take care of right now. I can't really get into a relationship right this moment. With working and providing for Hanabi –"

"How is she by the way? She… must be big now. She was so tiny when I first met her."

Hinata laughed. "She's still tiny… Like I'm one to talk. But she's doing well. She takes her medication regularly and she's in college. She'd love to see you again."

Ino smiled. "I'd love to see her too."

For the rest of the night, the two acted as if no time had passed between them. They laughed, then when Ino got a little too drunk, she cried and Hinata had to console her. Despite that, reuniting with Ino was a beautiful thing; something she'd have to thank Naruto for.

* * *

"You're so drunk…" Hinata mumbled as Naruto nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. He had gone from being a loud-mouthed, **"let's fuck shit up"** kind of drunk to a very affectionate and clingy kind of drunk in the span of two hours. The party finished a little while ago and Naruto wouldn't stop asking Hinata to spend the night with him.

He let her borrow one of his t-shirts. She found it rather comforting that it reached just above her knees. He was so large in comparison to her, and yet, so sweet and gentle – the definition of the gentle giant. Finally, Naruto removed himself from her to gaze into her eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

His voice sounded slightly groggy. "Why do you ask?"

"Cause… don't you love Ino or somethin'? She's getting' married n' stuff." It was something Hinata had thought about the entire night. Of course she was happy for her, even if it did hurt a little to know that someone else held Ino's heart.

Still, Hinata would not let that shake her resolve. If anything, she was probably still in love with the idea of them and the memories they shared. "Ino made me feel like I was everything; beautiful, kind, intelligent – everything. Her kindness made me happy. She still makes me happy. But I'm over it now, I have my closure."

"Good 'cause she sent me an invite to her wedding and there's a plus one and I want it to be you." Naruto grinned and she reluctantly accepted. Satisfied, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close before placing his warm lips to her ear. "For the record, I wanna make you feel like everything too."

And his words had kept Hinata up all night.


	7. Dark Sunglasses

This chapter was such a bitch to write and I hate it _so_ much. But here it is. Also, I've started school so I won't be updating very frequently, sorry about that.

And I'd like to point out that the first part of this chapter was inspired by Ciara's Dance Like We're Making Love. Listening to it actually helped me overcome the writers block.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 7: Dark Sunglasses

* * *

A flower crown adorned the top of her head, holding a white sheer veil behind it. Her dress was a sheer nude color from the top. An intricate white lace pattern covered her chest and parts of her slender arms. It was formfitting and white, but it seemed to move along effortlessly as Ino glided around on the dance floor with her new husband for their first dance.

The way her blue eyes gleamed as they locked with his dark ones was a look Hinata had never seen before and from her small, circular table a little ways away from the center of the dance floor, she had no problem seeing the sparks fly between them as well as how overjoyed Ino looked.

She made an absolutely beautiful bride and Hinata couldn't help the small wistful sigh that escaped her lips. Would she ever be in Ino's place; to be a beautiful bride full of happiness and love? Could she ever know a love other than the one that the newly wedded blonde had shown her? To say that Hinata didn't think about these kinds of things or even wish them upon herself from time to time would have been a lie.

She was only human, wasn't she?

The innocent, more childlike part of her dreamed of a fairytale ending where someone would swoop in to make her feel loved, cherished; _important_. They would sweep her off her feet, make sure that she had a shoulder to lean on and help her feel happy.

However, the adult, more cynical side of Hinata knew that the odds of something like that happening were one in a million and she hadn't really been up in her luck for a little over eight years now. And it wasn't like she could just sit there idly waiting on her knight in shining armor to rescue her from debt and loneliness.

Surely she and Hanabi would both be dead by now if she did that. Even though she put up a tough front about keeping Hanabi safe by doing whatever she needed to, Hinata couldn't deny that giving up on her own wishes and desires were starting to take a toll on her.

Was she being selfish? She had said that if her sister was happy and healthy, then she would need nothing more in life but recently, thinking about the love Ino shared with her husband was driving Hinata insane. Maybe she actually wanted something like that?

To feel like she was living a daydream or on a constant adventure with someone she loved – did she really want that? It was for certain that it was something she didn't _need_. But if she didn't need it then why was she feeling slightly miserable without it?

And then on top of that, Naruto's words from a month ago never ceased to float around in her mind.

 _'_ _I wanna make you feel like everything too.'_

She never asked him about it. He was obviously drunk and tired – he probably didn't even remember what he said that night. Still, a small part of her hoped that he had meant it because she had yearned for that feeling again.

Suddenly, he reached for her hand, prompting Hinata to watch him with inquiring eyes. "Hey, come dance with me." A sly grin broke out on his face as he shot her a wink. Hinata looked to the dance floor to see that the newlywed couple had left the dance floor long ago and some of the guests now occupied it.

She returned her gaze back to Naruto and shook her head. "No. I'm not very fond of dancing, nor am I good at it." She could hear him chuckle before placing his lips right by her ear, brushing up against it in the process. "Aww, come on. I'm sure you're a great dancer. You've even got great rhythm in bed."

Now Hinata's face had truly flushed and she pulled away from him. "N-Naruto! You can't say things like that in public!" She reprimanded lightly but the blond shrugged it off and stood up, extending his hand towards his stunning date for tonight.

"Please? Just one dance and then I promise you can sit down after this." He pleaded. The brunette looked from his large hands to his whiskered face; especially that warm and reassuring smile of his. Reluctantly, she took his hand and he guided her to the dance floor through the sea of ever-growing people.

The room was a little dark but the bright multi-colored lights flashing to the beat of the fast paced song helped illuminate Naruto's face. He was… surprisingly a good dancer. It was odd because he was so clumsy usually. To watch him move so effortlessly left Hinata slightly in awe.

What she wasn't aware of was that her body had started to move to the beat of the music as well in a small effort to keep up with her dance partner. When her eyes met his, a smile began to play upon her glossed lips. Hips swaying side to side, arms up in the air – she felt free. All of her worries seemed to disappear when with Naruto.

At one point, Naruto had grabbed her by the waist, pulling their bodies closer together. A look of concern washed over Hinata's face as she looked down to check if her feet were moving the right way or if she should have been doing anything differently but Naruto's low voice in her ear was comforting. "Just forget about everything and keep your eyes on me."

She did as she was told, but she couldn't quite forget about where she was placing her feet. However, the intensity of Naruto's cerulean eyes and the rhythm of their synchronized heartbeats caused everything to white away until Hinata was only conscious of the two of them together; not separate, but one in their dance.

Her feet moved left then right, then left again. The only time they broke apart was for him to spin her around before their bodies found each other once more. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his hugged her at her waist tighter.

Pale fingers ran through golden tresses as their foreheads pressed against one another. Their lips were only inches apart and their noses were just barely grazing each other. Hinata could hardly even breathe, but who said that was a bad thing?

This was a new kind of intimacy; something she had never experienced before and something she didn't think she could experience with anyone else but Naruto. It was a different kind of dance from the one she had shared with Ino. That one was something she'd always hold onto and cherish forever as it was a time of playfulness, innocence and pure delight.

But this one… This one held a type of passion she had never felt before. It was sensual and liberating; it was an experience Hinata didn't know she wanted, but after tonight she was sure she needed it. After the wedding reception, she sat in the passenger side of Naruto's care; her mind still replaying the dance they shared some hours ago.

Her eyes would glance over to him lightly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel at every red light and he'd hum a tune to himself from time to time. He was happy. And she… well… She felt like she was on another planet.

"I never knew you could dance." Although her voice was soft, it cut through the low humming of the vehicle. Never taking his eyes from the road, the blond gave a light chuckle. "Yeah. I mean, I'm not terrible. But you were amazing… I couldn't keep my eyes off you… or my hands."

Hinata let out a small giggle, the same one that never ceased to make his heart skip a beat. "I could say the same about myself for you. We should… We should do it again."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Hinata had gone from _"not much of a dancer"_ to _"dancing queen"_ in just one night and that was probably because she never had anyone to really dance with before. He had to say, being so close with her just felt right. "Yeah, I'd love to." Silence stretched on for a while before Naruto parked on the curb in front of a small apartment building. It was rather old and seemed to be falling apart but he remembered once that Hinata said she was fond of it – no one ever came to bother her there.

He turned to face her, taking in her hopeful expression with opalescent eyes watching him in awe. "Do you really mean that? Because I had so much fun tonight." Honestly, she was so cute when she was genuinely excited. When he gave a nod, she wrapped her arms around him and placed the most tender of kisses on his cheek, causing him to let out a low chuckle.

"You're so cute, Hinata." As he turned to face her, he noticed a very interesting facial expression she donned, one he had never seen before. His lips parted slightly to ask what was wrong but the words weren't able to escape his lips as hers came crashing down on his.

They were always so soft and warm. He could faintly taste chocolate cake on her lips; their dessert for tonight. Breathing was becoming quite a feat as their lips rolled over each other with passion. Hinata kicked her heels off so that straddling Naruto on the driver's seat would be an easier task.

Her hands worked at loosening his tie while his held the button to lower the back of his seat to make things just a _little_ more comfortable for them. Hinata had already tossed the needless tie somewhere on the dashboard and had gotten the last button of Naruto's shirt open.

Soft hands caressed his chest that rose and fell with such intensity. They roamed past his stomach to the belt of his pants, tugging it lightly. She broke the kiss and Naruto was met face to face with his beauty of a date, face flushing and panting heavily.

Azure eyes slowly watched those cute (red shaded) lips of hers ask "…please?" in such a feeble voice. She was the one on top of him and yet, she was so _vulnerable_. With each gasping breath she took, her breasts looked as if they were about to spill out of her dress at any moment.

He looked back up to her face, illuminated by the light of the moon. Her lids were heavy and with another light tug of his belt, she reminded him again that she wanted his permission to access him. Hinata sure was bold tonight, Naruto mused. His right hand cupped the side of face as he placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "Not yet, Hinata."

Although his pants were beginning to feel tight around the groin and his desire for her was strong; it would have to wait. Naruto wanted to enjoy her. He wanted to savor every second of their lovemaking session. Going so far so soon would satisfy them, sure, but then he'd regret not leaving soft kisses over every inch of her skin and not taking the time to feel her curves and truly appreciate her body soon after she left.

She gave a small pout at his rejection, just a little upset that he didn't want to take her right then and there. His small laugh caused the tips of Hinata's ears to turn a bright red. She was going to tell him to stop, but the sudden unzipping of her dress was a very effective diversion. The brunette watched a cunning grin spread across Naruto's lips as he unhooked her bra and her breasts practically spilled out to loom right over his face.

Before he could grab hold of them, she moved past him to place her forehead on top of his as he let out a childish whine. "Aww, come on. You seriously won't let me because I told you 'not yet'?" Hinata let out another soft giggle, never failing to make his heart flutter. "No… I just wanted to get a closer look at you."

"Yeah? And why's that?" She couldn't keep herself hidden from him for too long as his hand found her way to her bosom, lightly kneading them. "Am I good-looking or somethin'?" He teased.

A light gasp escaped her and he watched as Hinata closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of his large hands caressing her breasts; squeezing her hardened nipples between his fingers. "You…" she started, hardly able to catch her breath. A warm stickiness coated the inside of her panties as the friction between her and Naruto had become unbearable. "Because you're beautiful…"

It was something she had never expected to leave her lips. It was something Naruto had never expected to hear. He stared at her with wide eyes before bringing his hands to run through her silky long hair. Beautiful? _Beautiful?_ Never in his life had he been told that he was beautiful. And it made his heart stop when it left Hinata's lips to travel to his ears.

Sure, maybe she didn't mean it or maybe it could have been something she said during the heat of the moment but as of right now, her words were real and they left a feeling of elation in him. "Kiss me." He whispered gutturally, and Hinata did as she was told.

There was something different this time.

Their kisses, the grinding, the closeness; it all felt different from every other time they had been intimate. It was as passionate as usual, and it was as sexy as usual but now there was a feeling of warmth in it that made it impossible for Naruto to look at Hinata without a heartfelt gaze as he fumbled to undo the buckle of his belt. It was difficult to enter her without thinking about how she made him feel. As he gripped at her waist from underneath her dress, steadily pumping her as she cried out his name, it was so tempting for him to tell her that he truly wanted to make Hinata feel like she was _everything_.

Because she was and she deserved to know that.

It was a little after three in the morning when they finished, laying in a hot tangled mess in his car. The silence between them stretched on for a long time but it wasn't awkward or anything. It was a rather pleasant silence. Naruto's left arm draped over Hinata's waist lazily as his right hand held her own, their fingers were intertwined with one another.

Thoughts of her clouded his mind – the way she laughed, her soft smile, her breathtaking opalescent eyes; Hinata was truly a magnificent woman. Despite enduring so much in her life, she was still kind and so hardworking. The hold he had on her left hand tightened.

He was the one who wanted to make her feel absolutely amazing but she was actually making him feel like he was instead – and she probably wasn't even trying to. This was all too much for him. A year ago, she was just some pretty woman he wanted to take on a few dates and sex a couple of times. Now he was in deep for Hinata and falling for the girl who could have been killed at any moment for simply doing her job made him tremble with fear.

"I love you." There was no hesitation in his voice and that was mostly because he meant it but partially because they fell upon deaf ears since Hinata was fast asleep, or so he thought. Hinata laid deathly still, afraid that she'd startle and embarrass him if he found out she was awake the whole time.

The feeling of knowing that someone loved her made her weak in the knees. Not knowing how to respond to such a confession made her weak in the stomach.

* * *

"You've been humming that song all night tonight. What's got you so upbeat?" Kiba asked, looking over his shoulder to find that his friend genuinely startled by his question. It was the song she remembered dancing to Naruto with at Ino's wedding reception. Since that night, she couldn't really get it out of her head – or Naruto for that matter.

He told her that he loved her and that was something that made Hinata smile for hours on end. Maybe she loved him as well. If she didn't feel the same way, she wouldn't have been so happy about his confession; that was for sure.

However, she could never respond to him. She would be forced to tell him no. When they were actually together, it was fun and relaxing but that was the problem. They weren't together very often and that was due to their jobs – especially Naruto's. Apparently, he was going to be taking over at his godfather's law firm.

Everything just seemed to work in his favor, she supposed.

Still, with their lack of interaction and her current occupation, things wouldn't work out very well and their relationship would have suffered significantly. "Do you remember that wedding that I told you I was invited to?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Shoulda known it was gonna be about Naruto." He said dryly before laughing it off. "But you know, I've never seen you smile so much before. Maybe he's not as much of a meathead as I thought if he makes you happy. Right, Shino?"

Their reserved, glasses-clad friend gave a nod. "Now isn't the time to discuss these things. Why you ask? Because we've been here for over fifteen minutes now and our clients still haven't shown up." He was right. This was rather peculiar. Usually, people were so eager to get their goods that they showed up earlier than the agreed time. Something was definitely off tonight.

As nonchalant as usual, Kiba rested his hands behind his head. "And I thought I was impatient. C'mon Shino, they'll be here soon enough. And if they aren't we'll just take the goods back to Boss Lady and tell her they flaked, that's all."

No, that wasn't all. As much as Hinata wanted to believe that tonight's clients weren't punctual people, Hinata had an eerie feeling in the pit of her gut. The only sound echoing out in the warehouse was the clicking of heels on the concrete floor. Hinata didn't stray too far from her teammates, but was cautiously checking behind pillars with her trusty pistol in hand.

"Be on your guard." She said, causing Kiba to sigh before reaching for the gun at the waistband of his pants. "Both of you know how to really kill a guy's mood." He mumbled. Soon after, a gunshot rang out, shattering one of the windows just ways away from Hinata.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kiba growled, clicking off the safety on his gun. "'Cause paying for some fucking drugs isn't enough, is it?"

"Kiba," Shino warned, "stay calm."

"I _am_ calm!"

Another gunshot rang out, but this time it came from Hinata's pistol. She grimaced at the sight of her target fleeing from her from outside the warehouse. Dammit, he was getting away. "I'll scope out the perimeter upstairs." If there were people just outside, there had to be a few of them hiding around with sniper rifles just above them waiting to shoot. Maybe they weren't late after all… This was some kind of setup.

Shino cast his gaze over to his white-eyed teammate. "Good plan. Kiba, please see if you and Akamaru can sniff them out outside of the warehouse. I will stay down here." Content with their plan, the four of them split up, but not before Shino entrusted Kiba with the case of goods.

Hinata ran as fast as she could up each flight of stairs, making sharps turns and huffing and puffing along the way. If she wasn't able to get up there soon, Kiba and Shino could be dead and that was something Hinata couldn't bear to have on her conscience.

When she reached the door to enter the second floor, she jiggled the handle to enter but it was no use. The door was locked. Hinata took a few steps back, as she contemplated shooting the door handle off bus decided against it.

' _Come on Hinata… Think of something quick! Their lives could depend on it!_ ' Just then, her eyes darted over to the window of the door where she could see a figure heading over, presumably to get downstairs. She leaned up against the wall behind the door, waiting for him to open it.

It was a lot heavier than she thought, but the Hyūga managed to wrap her right leg around the door to hold it open as she peered out from behind to shoot the man who left. He turned to draw his gun, but Hinata's trigger finger was faster; putting a hole right between his eyes. The weight of his body caused him to slide down a flight of stairs before ultimately laying in a crumpled mess just at the bottom.

She slipped through the door, running to the nearest pile of crates to conceal herself. She wasn't alone up here – the bullet whizzing right past her ear confirmed this. Hinata gritted her teeth, waiting for the right moment to take a peek from her hiding spot.

Her heart was pounding a mile a minute. Sure, they had been ambushed like this before, but Kurenai always predicted it. She knew who she had personal vendettas against and she always told them when they needed to be extra cautious when going out to make a delivery.

But this time she only gave them the time and location, so why were these people out to kill them? Did they just want drugs for free or something? Because that was a good idea; killing off _the_ most powerful drug lord in Konoha City's puppets and stealing from her.

How stupid were these people?

The brunette peeked from behind the boxes and then quickly retreated as another bullet almost took her life. She couldn't see properly, and this was hindering her terribly. The faint sound of gunshots coming from outside made her worried.

Were Kiba and Akamaru okay?

She shook her head to rid the thought. They'd be fine. Right now, she needed to worry about how she was going to take care of the gunman who had her targeted. She needed a distraction. Balancing on her left foot, Hinata took off her right heel to chuck it in the general direction of her attacker. When the shots rang out, Hinata emerged from her hiding spot to shoot the woman distracted with her shoe. The plan was successful mostly successful.

While the woman was now just a corpse on the floor, she had good reflexes. She put a bullet through Hinata's right shoulder. The pain was unbearable, and she was having such a hard time standing but she needed to see if everyone was okay. Hinata kicked off her other heel to properly walk over to the balcony overseeing the first floor. Pistol ammunition was the only thing scattered on the floor up here.

Looking down, Hinata couldn't see anyone from her position but she could hear a struggle going on downstairs. She let out a shaky breath, clutching her shoulder with her left hand before moving as fast as her body would allow her down stairs.

She had gotten there too late.

The sight made her want to gag. Right in front of her, the bullet had pierced through Shino's abdomen and the look of shock and pain was evident on his face. His signature dark sunglasses had fallen off of his face, and for the first time since meeting him, she had seen his eyes; wide and pain stricken.

She stopped breathing when he fell down with a thud and her gun clattered to the floor; trembling hands unable to hold it anymore. If it weren't for Kiba coming for her rescue, she was sure she'd be in her wounded comrade's predicament. Finally she dropped to her knees, crawling over to see him in his frantic state breathing heavily.

"I don't think it hit any major organs. I-I'm fine…"

"Shino…" Hinata whimpered. What was she supposed to do? He looked to be losing consciousness fast. "Shino, you have to stay awake." He nodded but it didn't look like he understood what she was saying. She had undone the buttons of her shirt to place over his wound in an attempt to control the bleeding.

Kiba had been barking orders over his burner cell, hollering that medics be sent over quickly for Shino's rapidly depleting health. Something like this had never happened before… They had to come faster – Hinata couldn't lose another precious person.

"Please… don't cry Hinata." His voice was barely audible and not comforting at all. She had forgotten all about the pain in her shoulder, openly sobbing over a barely conscious Shino. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. They only had to trade goods tonight and be on their way back to Kurenai; that was it. He wasn't supposed to end up like this.

With trembling lips and in a shaky breath, Hinata prayed that by some miracle, Shino would be saved.

He needed to be.


	8. Hospital Gown

So, this chapter does bring up the topic of rape and suicide. Just a little heads up so that you all know.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 8: Hospital Gown

* * *

Those white eyes were familiar, but they weren't the ones he was accustomed to. Outside of Hinata's hospital room stood a girl much smaller than him with long brown hair and somewhat of a glum look plastered on her face.

So this was Hanabi Hyūga.

Naruto wasn't expecting them to look so similar. It was probably the eyes though and he was not a fan of how hers looked right now. They were slightly red and puffy and looked like they hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Was Hinata's condition really that serious? Naruto wasn't feeling so good right about now.

He had just admitted to himself that he loved her and now this? What if she had gotten into a coma and when awoken, she wouldn't remember him or any of the time they shared? What if she had gotten into a terrible accident and was paralyzed?

What if she was…?

No. He couldn't think things like that – especially not with Hinata's little sister right in front of him. He had to be positive, for her sake. Naruto took a deep breath, formulating in his mind how exactly he was going to approach her.

"The nurses are with her right now, so you can't go in." She croaked. Naruto was briefly taken aback by her sudden speech but gave a small nod. She sounded worse than she looked. Was Hinata's condition that bad?

The low murmurs of nurse's chatter and medical pagers filled the hospital corridors as Naruto watched Hanabi's eyes focus on the floor. "Uh… Hanabi, right?" She said nothing, nor did she move to look at him. "Are you okay?"

Slowly, opalescent eyes looked up to meet his and the younger of the Hyūga sisters gave a slight nod. When Naruto shot her a skeptical look, she folded her arms with a slight irate look etched onto her face. "Look, how do you _think_ I feel? My sister's in there with a stupid fucking bullet wound in her shoulder and–"

"You think this is all your fault." Naruto finished.

Now it was Hanabi's turn to be taken aback. She looked at him with wide eyes before they narrowed. "How did you know…?" She watched him stuff his hands in the pockets of his hoodie before telling her that Hinata informed him about her job.

She gave a snort. "Of course she'd tell you all of that, she's practically in love with you." After days of being completely miserable, Hanabi did take pleasure in watching the tips of Naruto's ears go red in embarrassment. What Hanabi had said wasn't completely a lie – Hinata was at least somewhat interested in Naruto.

She'd sleep in his orange hoodie during the cold months and whenever Hanabi asked about him, she'd always smile softly. Thinking about her sister's smile prompted a sigh to escape her. "She's… she's not okay. She says she is but she's not. And I try to make sure she's not lonely but I just end up falling asleep in there. She needs me now but I'm not doing a good job of being there for her."

He watched her hang her head in shame, sulking over not being enough support for her older sister. "C'mon now, don't say that. You're doing a good job of being there for her. You're here now, aren't you?"

"I'm not doing that great of a job if she's still in there _miserable_ , Naruto." She was looking him in the eyes once more with somewhat of a scowl on her face. Once she took notice of his eyebrows raising up in slight surprise, she backed down. "Sorry, I'm just–"

He cut her off. "No need to apologize. Listen, knowing Hinata, I'm positive she's as upset as you are because she thinks she's not being supportive since she's out of work at the moment. By the way she talks about you, she really does love you. I think watching you struggle with balancing her and school makes her upset – you know how hard she likes to work."

"Not being able to move about freely is absolute torture for her." Hanabi let out a small chuckle, prompting Naruto to smile. "Just… go home and get some rest, okay? I'll make sure she's feeling alright." He had given her one of his brightest grins. Hinata was right – his smile was rather infectious. Although she was a bit hesitant at first, Hanabi put her sister in Naruto's capable hands before walking down the corridor to exit the building.

After she left, Naruto's confident smile faltered. The thought of Hinata being miserable made his heart ache but knowing that she had gotten physically hurt made him sick. What was he even going to say to her when he entered the room? _'Hey, hope all is well'? 'Are you doing alright'?_ As if that would actually make her feel better.

 **Shit.**

He could have at least brought her some flowers or something! It would have been nice to, but once he heard that Hinata was in the hospital he just had to get there and see her. His head jerked towards her door once the sound of the door opening had reached his ears.

Two nurses had emerged, chatting away until they laid eyes on the ever popular Naruto Namikaze. One of them had blushed while the other gave a bashful giggle. He gave a nervous grin. "Hey, is it okay if I go in to check on Miss Hyūga?" He asked, kneading the back of his neck.

Both women gave one another similar looks of mischief before giving him the okay. "Do you think those two are an item or something?" one asked in a hushed tone. The other shook her head. "Couldn't be. I hear that he's into more wild girls."

As the nurses gossiped, Naruto stepped into Hinata's hospital room and his heart plummeted at the sight of her. She was dressed in only her blue hospital gown, skin was paler than usual; almost sickly. Her eyes didn't quite hold that luster that it once did and her usually impeccable posture was horrendous. She looked lifeless.

He walked over to her cautiously, his heart pounding harder with each step he took. "Hinata…" He breathed, shaken by her appearance. She turned to look at him. Her eyes had never looked so glum before. Naruto reached for her frail hand, lacing his fingers in between hers. "Hinata, I–"

"I don't want to do this anymore."

Naruto watched with wide eyes as Hinata pursed her lips. Her eyes never left his own. "I can't do this anymore, Naruto. I can't. Shino, he–" She stopped for a moment to control her breathing. "They won't tell me how he's doing. He was shot… but the last thing I was told was that he was still in critical condition. They won't tell me anything. What if he's gone? I-I can't lose another person, I just…"

The grip on her hand had tightened. "Then stop… please? Hanabi really wants you to." He neglected to tell her that he wanted her to stop as well.

She shook her head. "You don't understand… I have to keep going." It was silent between the two. Without letting go of her hand, Naruto pulled up a chair right by Hinata's bedside. "Remember when you asked why we didn't inherit our father's business?"

He had asked that a year ago. Nonetheless, he nodded and Hinata continued as she raised her head to look at the ceiling. "Because our father never loved us. Our mother died after giving birth to Hanabi and he was so distraught. He was a miserable man, usually locked away in his study from the rest of the world. However, my father tried to be a good single parent, he really did."

On his off days, Hiashi would take his daughters out to dinner or to the park. Hanabi was especially spoiled since she was the younger sibling. It was hard on him, but Hinata always noticed that he tried to do right by his girls.

"When I was 13, my father remarried. It was the happiest I had ever seen him in so long, and that made me jealous. She made him happier than Hanabi and I ever could. He was practically a new man. Then he grew sick… liver failure from all his drinking he had done the previous years to get over my mother. He passed away when I was 17 and after we buried him, I found out that he'd given everything he owned to our stepmother.

"How does someone do that? How does someone sentence their own child to death? Hanabi had been sick for years and he knew that… but he still left us with nothing. He left me with the burden of keeping my sister alive. When I heard that the mayor was all aboard changing the medical plan, I was upset because it was even more unaffordable for me. But, I still tried. I still had the money from my college fund saved up – I used it for her medication. I worked two jobs for her but I was just barely scraping by. When Ino left and I lost my other job, I had nothing."

At this point, she was beginning to tremble. It hurt to recall everything that had gone on, but once she started, she just couldn't seem to stop. "I was willing to do anything. I was willing to sell myself, I was willing to steal… I said that I'd even kill if I had to."

When she met Kurenai while job hunting in a rather shady part of Konoha City, she begged and pleaded for a job, explaining everything to the red-eyed drug lord. Kurenai took pity on her and hired her for researching purposes. It wasn't until a few months before her 20th birthday that Kurenai wanted her to fill in for another member.

It was surreal to her, to learn how to properly use a gun, to learn basic hand to hand combat; for what purpose? She didn't know what she had gotten herself into until it had been too late. "The first couple of deliveries were easy. We exchanged goods for money – that was it. But then the time came where I had to kill someone and I felt sick." The crumpling of his body on the concrete floor, his dead eyes staring at her, calling her out as the monster she was.

She couldn't handle it. "But I had to do it or else Hanabi… I-I didn't want to do it. I never wanted to do it." She sobbed, placing her head in the palms of her hands. Although she never wanted to, she had gotten more money in a week than she had ever seen in months of working two jobs. With heaving shoulders and erratic breathing, all Hinata could repeat over and over was that she never wanted to do this in the first place.

And Naruto was sure that his heart had broken into a million pieces that day.

* * *

Ever since that day, Naruto was spent on visiting Hinata as often as he could. He'd get to the hospital as early as visiting hours started and would be hesitant to leave when they ended, not wanting to leave her on her lonesome.

Sometimes, he and Hanabi would show up at the same time, totally unexpected, and they would try to cheer her up but it didn't seem like any use. Hinata would stare off into the bland wall of the hospital room, not talking, not smiling. It was so unlike her.

After her confession, she never really said a word to Naruto. He never brought it back up out of fear that she'd start crying again. He didn't think he could take any more of that. Today was different than other days. Because of work, Naruto didn't make it to the hospital until the afternoon. Before entering, a familiar face caught his attention.

It took him multiple tries to put a name to the face but the one that stuck was Kiba, one of Hinata's teammates. Funny, Naruto hadn't remembered seeing him the entire week he had been visiting Hinata. Just what was he up to? They had caught each other's eye momentarily before Kiba cast his lackluster gaze elsewhere.

He may not have felt like talking but Naruto had a few words for him. "Kiba, is it?" He asked, leaning up on the same brick wall of the hospital that Kiba was.

"Yeah." He spoke, not really giving his full attention. "Here to see your princess?"

Princess? Naruto shrugged it off. "I haven't seen you around here surprisingly. What were you up to?" Kiba wasn't liking where this was going. Was he trying to say that he wasn't here enough for his friends? He grit his teeth for a moment. "I still have work, you know. As much as I'd love to visit my friends, I can't always do that."

After such a traumatic event, Kiba had to work without his teammates? Talk about brutal. 'I guess everyone has to work on the drug lord's time,' he mused. Speaking of work… "I have to ask – why the hospital? Isn't this a terrible place to admit people who do your line of work? Cops don't come in to question you?"

Kiba swiftly tilted his head to the side, producing a small cracking sound from is neck. "No. Our boss practically owns this place. All the info is under hush-hush to everyone except the doctors, families and patients involved. I should know, I've been in here more times than I care to admit."

"But not Hinata or Shino?" Naruto inquired. Kiba shook his head. "Is Shino… okay? Cuz Hinata–"

"He's awake. I spoke to him today. He'll be in there a while but he looks like shit. I had to come out here and take a moment." Kiba sighed. "I was gonna see Hinata too, to make sure she's holdin' up alright but if she's stressed out about Shino she's probably not."

Naruto gave a nod. "She wants to quit." Surprisingly, Kiba didn't give a huge outburst. It was as if he were expecting this. "That's nothin' new. Most of us want out, me included." It seemed that everyone in this business had a story.

When Naruto shot him a quizzical look, Kiba laughed. "Sorry. I gotta be real fucked up to tell you that shit." Much to his surprise, Naruto tossed a carton of cigarettes his way. It wasn't going to get him shitfaced but he appreciated it; especially since they were Shino's favorite kind. "You're really determined on me telling you, huh?"

The blond gave a small grin before watching Kiba pull out a cigarette to light it. He brought it to thin lips before puffing out a cloud of smoke. "I'm in this living nightmare for my sister, man." He started. His mother and his sister, to be clear.

They were all a close-knit family – he, Hana, his mother and father and all of their dogs. Sometimes, it just seemed like his father was just a little more fond of Kiba than anyone else. Hana and Kiba had the perfect sibling relationship with the right amount of arguing and playing around. The two of them were inseparable.

Although laidback, Hana didn't mind the occasional party with friends, much to Kiba's disliking. She'd always poke fun at him, saying he'd miss his big sister and he'd always deny it, saying that he didn't care what she did. When she left, Kiba always told himself that he would.

There was a reason why Kiba had always hated those parties. "I was 11 at the time, making her 16 I think. She went out with a couple of friends to some stupid party but she didn't come back when she was supposed to. I went to bed, woke up at one in the morning and she still wasn't back. We were all worried sick.

"My sister strolls in at 2:30 in the morning, and my dad is pissed the fuck off. He starts yelling at her, but she screams back at him that it wasn't her fault. He wasn't going to let her 'disrespect' him like that in his own home."

Kiba cringed. "He hit her. Not tap on the arm or something like a disobedient kid gets but an actual slap in the face. My dad's a big guy; it fucking hurt. She cried for hours and my parents got into a huge screaming match about it. No one confronted her about it until later on in the day.

"She kept beating around the bush until finally it came out that this one boy she knew at the party… he raped her. My dad swore up and down that there was some other reason for why she was late and my mom had enough of him at that point.

"He kept asking her all these dumb questions; 'are you sure?' 'were you drinking when you know you're not supposed to?' 'are you lying to me?' He wouldn't fucking let up on her, the bastard. Every day, it got worse from there."

Hana would never leave the house anymore – she even stopped going to school after all of the ridicule she had received. Hana gave a name – but when her father said they'd press charges and she refused to, he came to the conclusion that Hana was lying to him over a party, playing herself up as a victim.

The fights between Kiba's parents became worse. Tsume believed in her daughter and was willing to do anything Hana wanted to do but Hana felt like she was the reason for their parent's divorce and for her father leaving them. He wanted to take Kiba but he refused, wanting to stay with his mother and sister.

Undoubtedly, his father was disappointed in him, but not as much as Kiba was disappointed in his father.

After hearing about the divorce, she wasn't eating properly anymore. Hana wasn't herself; and it tore Kiba's heart to see his sister turn into such a different person over the course of one night. Tsume sent her to therapists, trying anything that she could to help her eldest child but after their father's income was gone, money was tight.

"We had to give away the dogs. All of them. We couldn't afford to take care of all of them anymore. After my sister found out about it, she felt like a burden and then she… she overdosed on sleeping pills. We got her in time but… how do I even talk to her after that? What the fuck do I say to her? I couldn't. I just watched her go downhill and there was nothing I could do about it.

"My mom juggled a whole bunch of jobs for the both of us but it wasn't cuttin' it. I was almost 18 when I started working for the boss. She's a nice lady. She always sends me home with presents for my mom and my sister. She treats us like we're family. If I could, I wouldn't be doing this. My sister feels like it's her fault that I'm doing this and it's not but… anything I do just makes her feel worse… Makes me think if saving her was really the best option… or were we just being selfish?"

By the end of it all, Kiba took a long drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out on the wall and tossing it into a nearby garbage can. "I know that fucker's name and what he looks like though. If I **ever** catch him in the streets, he's fucking dead. He took a lot from us the day he decided my sister's feelings didn't matter."

Naruto was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. Kiba, Hinata; they both had it rough. "Shit man, I'm really sorry–"

"Don't be. Not your fault." Kiba took another cigarette out of the box, needing a stress relief for the shitty week he was having. "Do you think… do you think her dad really did something like that?" Naruto asked and Kiba shot him a look of skepticism.

"What, you don't believe her or something?"

He shook his head. "No, nothing like that… I just… What the hell kind of father does that?"

Kiba blew out a puff of smoke, staring out into the street. "Fathers do all kinds of fucked up shit. I should know." He was right but this was different. Hinata had said that her father had tried to be good to them. If he was supposedly trying so hard when he was alive, why did he fail so miserably after he was gone?

"I want to help her." He said finally.

Kiba turned to face him with narrowed eyes and a creased brow. "You better mean that. If you can get her outta this mess, good. She never belonged here in the first place. Sure, she's changed over the course of a few years but she's still that little daddy's girl deep down who's afraid of failing. I can see it in her. I can tell you're serious about Hinata, so do whatever you can. I'd help her but… I'm in no better shape."

Naruto would do anything in his power to make sure that Hinata was out of harm's way. He couldn't watch her sit in her hospital bed floundering in her own self-pity for another day. Then an idea struck him.

* * *

"Himeko Sunahara…" The name had been on Ino's mind for a few days now ever since Naruto showed up at her doorstep practically begging her to dig up dirt on this woman. At first she declined saying that she had other, more pressing matters to tend to.

When he mentioned Hinata's name, however, Ino couldn't ignore his request. It was a chance to repay her debt to her former girlfriend. Hanabi's condition, the death of family members as well as their betrayal; Ino truly did feel sorry for leaving Hinata bear the weight of the world alone and wanted to do right by her.

It was pretty easy at first, a few web searches for the name brought up news articles and the webpage for the Sunahara Corp. where this woman was the CEO of apparently. She had come across interviews, press releases and the sort but nothing major caught her eye until she happened upon a news article from a little over six years ago.

The headline read: **Multimillionaire Hyūga Dies, Wife Takes Over the Company**. Well, this was interesting. Ino knew about the death of Hinata's father as well as her failure to inherit the family business but Hinata never exactly told her who took over, nor did she tell her that it was her stepmother.

Her eyes glazed over the article, picking out a few key phrases and sentences. Apparently, the article was centered on the surprise of the Hyūga siblings not inheriting their father's business. She was beginning to dig deeper; background checking, prying into the company, and the like.

Ino was days into her search when she began to suspect some foul play before and after Hiashi's death. Even if it was as Hinata had told Naruto, that her father had given everything to her stepmother, was that woman so coldhearted that she wouldn't spare some money for children who needed it? Especially a 14-year-old orphan with a chronic heart condition.

No wonder Naruto had come to her for help – this was something that her intelligence analytic skills were made for.

Apparently, the will hadn't been filed, so going through the court system to check it out was a bust. This only confirmed Ino's suspicions on foul play. If Miss Sunahara really was in the will, she would have had it filed in a heartbeat, especially since she was claiming to rightfully own something as big and powerful as the Sunaara Corp. – or should she say the Hyūga Corp?

She'd have to relay this to Naruto first thing in the morning.

"Sweetheart," Her ears perked up to the sound of her husband calling to her. Pale hands rested upon bare shoulders, gingerly kneading them to release tension. "Are you coming to bed soon? It's pretty late."

A soft laugh escaped her. "In a moment Sai, I'm doing some research for a friend." His hands stopped working on her shoulders but never left her as he pressed his face up against hers to look at the computer screen.

It was mostly blocks of text. "It looks like a pain." He commented. "Don't strain your eyes too much, alright?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll see you in bed." Her voice was sultry this time and Sai had turned his head from the computer screen to meet her gaze. She shot him a wink before he had placed a kiss charged with passion and a hint of lust on her lips.

It was almost perfect, if only it hadn't been so short. "I'll be waiting for you then." His voice was a soothing as a summer night's breeze. Ino had predicted that she'd be finished with her research not very long from now, but it would be fun to let her husband wait a little.

* * *

He looked better today. Shino was able to sit up today and talk to her – it eased Hinata's nerves. When Kiba told her that Shino was awake and okay, she was ready to jump out of her hospital bed to see him. Kiba had teased her, saying that everyone would see her backside if she ran around in her hospital gown. Under normal circumstances, she would have blushed and chose to be modest.

However, seeing Shino alive and well was her main concern. Unfortunately, the nurses wouldn't let her see him until she was officially discharged from the hospital. He had told her that they were able to operate on him relatively quickly; if they had wasted even a few seconds, his condition would have been fatal.

Hinata held his hand from the side of his bed, running her thumb gently over the back of it. It'd be a while before he was able to come back to work with them but that was fine; Shino needed to rest. He had been working himself too hard from the get-go.

Shino always followed in the shadow of his older brother Torune, mostly because he was an endangerment to himself but partly because lingering behind him gave Shino a sense of comfort. In their youth, it seemed that Torune always had something to prove – something he wanted to show the world.

Torune mixed with the wrong people; became addicted to the wrong things. Shino held himself accountable for not being able to get his adoptive brother the help he truly needed. Hinata gave his hand a light squeeze. Wherever Torune was, Shino was close by – whether it was crazy parties or shady drug dealings around a back alley, Shino always stood in his brother's shadow to make sure he was safe.

So when Torune started working for Kurenai in his latest statement piece, Shino followed. He threw away everything – school, a job of his interest; all to make sure that even if his brother was destructive, he wouldn't be destructive to himself.

They worked side by side for a while, and then with Kiba. After a huge brawl on the job, a bullet pierced right through Torune's skull, ending his life. Kurenai expected Shino to quit, but he had told her that he was in debt to her for invoking a sense of passion in his brother that he could not, and for attempting to rehabilitate his addictions.

Soon after his death, Hinata had been put to replace him, resulting in their current team.

Hinata wanted to cry when Shino admitted that he wished they hadn't saved him, but she understood. Shino wanted to be with his brother. If Hinata was in his position, she would have liked the same. To think that this person who slept so peacefully before her was ready to die… It broke her heart.

"I… Shino, I should be going now. I have to go home to Hanabi." Her voice was barely a whisper. Slowly, he turned his head to face her, his eyes fluttering open. "Please, send my thanks for the present she sent me. It's a nice touch to this drab room." His voice was deep and groggy and he moved his free hand to remove some of the sleep from his eye.

A small smile played upon her lips as she looked at the spider plushy Hanabi sent with the goofiest expression on its face. It sat on Shino's bedside along with a few cards from people they worked with. There was also one from Kurenai herself.

"Yes, I'll let her know. I'll be back tomorrow okay?" With that, she let go of his hand and left his room. When she exited the hospital, she hadn't expected for Naruto to rush into her. He wore a look of concern, and this was starting to concern Hinata.

His hands grabbed her by the shoulders with a tight squeeze and she winced. "N-Naruto please, my shoulder…" He eased his grip, but his hands stay firmly planted on them as he looked her dead in the eye. "I need to talk to you about something. It's very important."

A multitude of scenarios ran through Hinata's mind. He could have told her that her sister was in terrible pain or that Kiba had gotten himself into trouble. What if Naruto himself was in trouble and he needed her help?

A few more scenarios made her heart beat fast. Was he going to tell her that he loved her to her face? Or would he tell her that he couldn't spend time with her anymore? She would have honestly preferred the latter of the two. She could handle being alone. She couldn't handle rejecting someone who loved her because of her occupation.

But Naruto's "important something" wasn't anything of the sort. She was sure it made her heart stop beating.

"The will – your dad's will! Your stepmom never filed it! Your name could be on there for all we know!"

Hinata was _livid_.


	9. Flower Hairpin

There's probably gonna be one more chapter after this and then an epilogue. Sorry this took like 2 weeks, I've been being a good student (for the most part).

Also, **RydiaWeasely** , no I don't have a beta. :'( I looked for one over the summer but no one really wanted to. That's why I have terrible errors/inconsistencies I'm desperately trying to clean up.

But I digress.

Please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 9: Flower Hairpin

* * *

It was funny, really. She had been pacing up and down in Naruto's apartment trying to take the edge off while he sat perfectly still on his leather couch. It brought back a sense of Déjà vu. The sound of her bare feet padding on the wooden floor was all that filled the room save for her sighs of exasperation once in a while.

Her fingers balled up into fists; nails digging into the palms of her hands, almost breaking skin. Naruto's words forever circled her mind. Her name could have been on the will… The Hinata from six years ago would have jumped for joy. Even the Hinata from four years ago would have cried tears of happiness. But now? After everything she'd been through? After all the pain and terror she endured while attempting to give her sister a stable life?

Of course she was angry.

She stopped. "How did you find out?" Not once did Hinata turn around to face him. She couldn't. There was a fear somewhere deep down; a fear that Naruto was somehow wrong and that she truly never inherited anything after her father's death.

A longwinded sigh escaped him. "C'mon now Hinata, does it really matter?"

" _How_ , Naruto?" Although insistent for an answer, her tone kept its usual softness. She aimed to keep a level head from here on out. Hinata couldn't afford to break down in front of Naruto. Not again. She waited for his response.

The silence was agonizingly long. She could hear him breath with slight agitation as her brow creased in frustration. Why would he go looking into things like that in the first place? It wasn't any of his business to begin with!

The only reason that story ever left her lips was because she was at one of her lowest points in such a long time. Sorrow, anger, _regret_ … They were beginning to consume her whole. Nightmares. Every single night. They replayed the sight of Shino being shot. The way his eyes dilated from the shock and the sound of his shaky breath were so vivid.

And the blood.

It was everywhere.

It filled the entire room and suffocated her. When she slowly felt her chest become heavy, the voices reached her. They spoke viciously, calling her a monster; a murderer. They told her that she was destined for a life of crime and a puppet was all she'd ever be.

It was always numb, but then somehow Neji's voice reached her to tell her of his disappointment. It was always there that she stopped breathing and the red faded into darkness. What really did her in was her father's voice.

She always asked one question. _Why?_ But he never answered her. He only revealed his absolute disgust with the person she had become. And then she'd sit up in a cold sweat, panting heavily before crying for hours on end.

Hinata never got any sleep in the hospital and she still wasn't getting any now. She cringed. Now wasn't the time to think about such silly things, especially when she was having an important conversation. Naruto shifted his position on the couch. The leather let out a muffled squeak. "I had Ino do some digging. That's what she told me."

She turned to face him quickly with a look of disbelief across her face. "You dragged _Ino_ into this? Naruto, why would you–?"

"We want to help, okay? Stop freaking out for one second and _listen_ to me, dammit!" She was taken aback. He never once raised his voice at her like this before. It… actually kind of hurt. Her hands clutched at the loose sweater she wore and she instinctively took a step back, placing herself against the wall.

Hinata was feeling cornered. "Please… don't yell anymore." Her eyes were unable to meet his so she missed seeing his face soften briefly before getting up to stand before her. Naruto held her chin in between his thumb and index finger to lift her head. His gaze was intense and she was sure hers was wavering and pathetic.

"I won't yell anymore. I promise. But I'm serious when I say that I want to help you, Hinata. Don't you want to find out if your name is on there? Because there's a good chance it might be." If it was there, the money would help out Hanabi so much. She could stop working for Kurenai and finally live peacefully. Her life would forever be changed if that was the case.

Naruto was right but… "How… how would we even go about finding out?" he released his gentle hold on her to cross his arms over his chest.

"We've gotta go pay a little visit to your stepmom."

Her stepmother? Hinata wasn't sure that she could even face her. Just the thought of standing face to face with her after all those years made Hinata's heart pound rapidly against her chest. Her mouth tried to come up with some kind of excuse to avoid seeing her but as she moved it, nothing came out.

Anxiety rushed over her in an instant, and she was sure her knees would buckle underneath her. Suddenly, it was becoming harder to breath. Hinata was feeling dizzy. To see the woman who might have been the cause of her miserable life?

She couldn't do it.

"Hey." His voice was soothing this time and his arms found their way around her waist. "We don't have to do it today. We don't even have to do it tomorrow. We'll do it whenever you feel strong enough to, alright?" Hinata returned the warm embrace, burying her face into his chest and inhaling the faint scent of his cologne. Naruto put her at ease and he made her feel whole. In his arms, everything began to look just a little less gray.

A few minutes passed by before Hinata raised her head to get another look at him. "I um… I should be going home. Hanabi must be worried about me."

He nodded. "Then let me take you home."

The car ride was silent. The seemingly endless downpour of rain hit the hood of Naruto's car rhythmically. From time to time, she'd sneak glances of him from the passenger seat as he focused on the road ahead.

Hinata was grateful for him. When she first met him, she had to shamefully admit that he was only someone to pass the time with here and there; to have fun with. Now, Hinata realized that Naruto kept the pain of loneliness away and brought in a type of light in her life she so desperately needed.

Naruto truly made her happy – something he hadn't really felt in years. This whole time Hinata yearned for someone to make her feel important and loved even though she knew it a pointless wish. However, she was beginning to doubt herself. Naruto was proving day by day that he meant what he said when he told her he wanted to make her feel like everything and the knowledge of that alone took her beyond regular happiness.

The feeling was euphoric.

And he was willing to help her fix her mess of a life too. Naruto was too kind to her, really. Hinata bunched up the fabric of her skirt, mulling over all that Naruto had told her about her father's will.

If she was really on there, not only would she and Hanabi have better lives but she could get Kiba and Shino to work for her instead. They wouldn't have to risk their lives anymore to take care of the ones they loved. The three of them could finally just be…

 _Normal_.

The realization brought a smile to her face; the first real one in a little over a month. They could all be truly happy for once in their lives. "Next week." She spoke. Naruto parked in front of her shabby little apartment before giving her a quizzical look. "Next week. We'll pay her a visit then. I can… I can do this. But only if you're with me."

Between whiskered cheeks was a smile with a brightness that could rival the sun. Naruto would always be wherever Hinata needed him because he was willing to do anything just to see that perfect smile on her face. "Yeah. I'll be there for you."

It was a promise.

* * *

Hinata was initially shocked to see her sister's sudden change in appearance. The long, silk-like brown hair Hanabi prided herself on was mostly gone. It didn't even touch her shoulders and was very uneven.

It looked terrible.

"Hanabi…" Hinata started, a bit wary of her sister's response. "Why did–?"

"Laugh at it if you want. It's not like I care or anything." Her voice held little emotion in it. This wasn't the lively, optimistic Hanabi Hyūga she was used to seeing. Maybe her hospitalization really hit her sister hard. She was starting to feel like a horrible older sister, putting her own feelings before Hanabi's.

After she was omitted out of the hospital, she and Hanabi didn't really talk as much as they used to. Things felt distant between them and this was not the kind of relationship she wanted with her sister. "I won't laugh. It's uneven."

Hanabi's only response was to nod and Hinata bit her lip. She wasn't even looking at her anymore. "I… I'll trim it for you, if you'd like. So it'll be even." Reluctantly, Hanabi moved from her bed to get a towel and a pair of scissors so that Hinata could work her magic on the hair that she butchered in a fit of rage earlier.

She sat on the computer chair by her desk with a pink towel over her shoulders to catch the hair the fell. Hinata worked carefully to cut her sister's hair to perfection, squinting her eyes and sticking her tongue out over her upper lip in concentration.

Hanabi sat still, her ears focused on the sounds of scissors snipping by her ear and her eyes on the empty picture frame on her desk. It used to hold a picture of the Hyūga sisters and their father. After today, Hanabi took it out and tossed it away.

"I cut it myself today." She told her sister. Hinata said nothing and Hanabi continued. "I cut it because you'd freak out if I cut anything else on my body." It was then that the scissors stopped moving and Hinata's eyes bore into the back of her sister's head.

She had never been so upset with Hanabi than she was at this moment. She wanted to harm herself? Why on Earth would she do that? Hinata already had enough to worry about with Hanabi's chronic heart condition, and now she was sitting here telling her she wanted to hurt herself?

Even so, Hinata said nothing. She stood silently, waiting for Hanabi to speak once more. "You can be mad at me all you want, but you don't understand how I felt. You were in that hospital for two weeks. _Two_. And I was here by myself wondering if something happened to your brain too. Because you'd just sit there and stare off to space with this vacant look in your eyes.

"And what was I supposed to do? I tried everything I could to be supportive but nothing I was doing helped. You were gone. You still are, and I hate that this happened. But I'm not mad at you. I thought things over today and the reason you're like this is because of father, right? He put you in this shitty position and I just got so… angry at the fact that you cry all the time because of him and that no matter how hard I try, I can never make you happy.

"I wanted to cut myself, but I didn't. Because that wouldn't make you happy either. So, I cut my hair instead. It was liberating."

The room was dead silent. Hanabi gripped the armrests of the chair in apprehension of her sister's response. She received it loud and clear. The scissors snipped once more and Hanabi swiveled her chair around in time to see Hinata's long tresses fall to the floor in a large pile.

"It is liberating." She finally spoke. It brought a smile to Hanabi's face and in return, Hinata smiled too. Soon, their smiles went wider until laughter arose from the pits of their stomachs. They looked silly right now, but it was fine.

It was the feeling that mattered and right now, the two of them felt as is some kind of weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. Hinata watched her sister with a different pair of eyes now. Ones that held a new shine to it.

Seeing Hanabi laugh again was something that warmed her heart. Soon, an idea came to her. Hinata fished in her pocket for a moment to pull out a hairpin. It had belonged to her mother and was quite beautiful. It was golden and an arrangement of opalescent stones shaped like flower petals decorated the end of the pin. It was one of the few things she didn't pawn off when she was scrambling for money. Hinata tucked the lock of hair in front of Hanabi's face to her left and used the flower hairpin to keep it in place.

"There. That looks better." Her smile held a warmth to it that Hanabi hadn't seen in such a long time.

"You still have to finish cutting it though!" She scolded playfully. "And since you were irrational too, I guess I have to trim yours huh?"

It would have been appreciated.

Tonight was spent trimming and washing each other's hair while preparing for bed together. It were as if she 10 again, having warm milk tea after a rather rejuvenating bath, brushing her teeth with Hanabi, and laying down with her in the same bed. They laid on their backs staring up at the old, worn out ceiling.

Hinata reached for Hanabi's hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and explained everything Naruto had told her. Between listening about her father's will and visiting her stepmother, Hanabi's head was starting to spin. She guessed Mister Namikaze could have been right – they never did get to see the will since they were minors and Hiashi died a month before Hinata's 18th birthday.

Now she was starting to feel bad that she threw out that picture of the three of them as a family. "So, what're you gonna do? Are you really gonna go see her?"

It wasn't an option. She _needed_ to go see her. "Hanabi, I… I'm resigning."

Her sister shot up in surprise before turning to get a good look at her face. "No freakin' way! You've gotta be lying to me. You're really gonna quit?" Hinata nodded. She thought it over after Naruto dropped her home the other day.

"But… now? What if your name isn't on the will? Or… what if you can't get the business back? Then what will you do for work?"

"I'll figure something out. I'll work as many jobs as I can. And if worse comes to worse, I'll beg for my job back if I have to. But as of right now, I can't work like that anymore. It gets to me a lot more than I was ever willing to admit. I don't like what I do but I can change that, right?"

Hanabi offered to drop out of college to help too, but Hinata wouldn't allow it. Education was important and she couldn't bear to hear that Hanabi had given up on something like that. So, Hanabi promised to work hard in her studies and make Hinata very proud.

That night, Hinata had gotten somewhat of a goodnight's sleep.

* * *

"You… you chopped it all off?" Naruto couldn't say that he wasn't surprised with Hinata's new look. But he was more in awe of the fact that Hinata seemed to pull it off effortlessly. She was starting to look a bit like her old self again. The radiance of her silky skin, the bright shine in those opalescent eyes; they were lively today. This was what he was used to seeing.

"Yes. You sound like you don't like it very much though." She sounded as if she were teasing him. He kind of missed that. In a swift movement, Naruto reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment and the warm feeling he got when locking eyes with her began to grow in the pit of his stomach.

It also seemed to hit his cheeks too. "I do like it. It suits you nicely, just like everything else." Somewhat of a coy smile played upon her lips. At the sight of that cute expression, Naruto moved to kiss her forehead.

The feeling of her arms wrapped around him was gratifying and when she moved to lay her head on his chest, his heart skipped a beat. He was sure that she had heard it too. "It felt good to cut it, actually. It held old, dark memories. This is a fresh start."

He rested his chin on top of her head and held her tight. "A fresh start huh? Am I included in that too?" He chuckled. Surprisingly, she clutched onto his jacket momentarily before pulling away to meet his eyes. "…Why wouldn't you be?"

Naruto blushed. Her voice held so much sincerity and to be honest, he was honored that she included him in her life. Hinata was more to him than just a summer fling. She meant more to him than just a friend. Hearing that he was a part of her fresh start made his heart stir. "Uh, I was just teasing, actually." He muttered, unable to look at her.

His eyes drifted over to the wall clock that read 2:25. Hinata's appointment with the CEO of Sunahara Corp. was at 2:30. It was ironic. Now Naruto was the one who was slightly nervous about this meeting. Hinata seemed to be as calm and collected as when they first met, which was a good thing.

It would be her who was going face to face with her stepmother, not him. Still, his purpose was to show moral support – something Hinata never really got enough of her entire life. "Are you ready for this?" Naruto inquired.

She nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. And if my name is actually on that piece of paper, so help me–"

" _No,_ " he whispered harshly, "we're not doing this illegally. No guns, no knives, _nothing_. Okay?"

Well, Hinata wasn't planning on murdering her mother in law in cold blood – that type of savagery wasn't her style. However, there was no doubt on her mind that if she asked Kurenai for a favor, she'd be more than willing to help out.

But, Hinata wanted to put this life of crime and violence past her. If she was going to get by in life, she'd do it by honorable means. It was much safer that way. "I wasn't planning to do any of that, Naruto. I'll go in, get the information I need, and get out. I mean it."

"You better." He muttered.

The ding of the elevators caught both of their attention, and a woman in a sharp business suit approached them. "Are you Miss Hinata Hyūga?" The woman asked, to which Hinata nodded. "Miss Sunahara will see you now. Follow me."

Hinata parted ways with Naruto, but not before he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. When the elevator doors closed, the feeling of anxiety settled in and she wished Naruto would have at least accompanied her for the elevator ride.

That wasn't allowed, however, so Hinata would have to do this on her own. "This office is on the 31st floor, but don't worry. We're using the private elevator so that there are no interruptions."

"I see." In the few times that Hinata came to visit her father here, she remembered being ushered into this exact elevator to see him.

A wave of nostalgia hit her when she saw that the wall closest to her had a small red scribble of a misshapen heart. That was Hanabi's doing on Valentine's Day when Hinata was only 11. Did they not get anyone to clean it? The elevator seemed well kept.

Finally, the elevator doors opened to the 31st floor, and things were drastically different from the last time she was here. There was red carpeting instead of the immaculate white tiles her father had put in and the walls were painted over in gold.

There were a few porcelain busts in here too. Hinata fought the urge to scoff. Talk about cliché rich people designs. "Miss Sunahara's office is just right through these doors. She'll page me when it's time to escort you back down."

With that, her stepmother's secretary went in the opposite direction, leaving Hinata on her own. She hesitated for a moment, debating if she truly wanted to go through with this. She did, because she was not the only one hoping for the chance that this all could be hers. Her sister needed this. Her friends and their families needed this.

And if she didn't go through with this, Ino and Naruto would have done this work all for nothing. Hinata gave a firm knock on the door and didn't have to wait long to receive permission to enter. When she did, she held her breath at the sight of her stepmother.

It seemed that she adopted a few of the same mannerisms her father had, like not looking up from his work when someone was in his presence. When she did look up, Hinata noted that she had some work done. Her nose definitely didn't look like that a few years back.

But she looked good.

"Oh my, Hinata Hyūga!" Himeko cried, as if overjoyed to see her. "It's been quite a while. Look how beautiful you've grown!" Cheap flattery would get her nowhere but Hinata still held her tongue and gave a smile and a nod. "You know, I was so surprised when you called to see me. I haven't heard from you in years."

"Pardon my lack of manners. I've been very busy, so I haven't had the time to catch up with anyone really."

She laughed. "Always a hard worker, I see. Some things never change. So, how is your sister? Is she doing well?" Hinata's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. The gall of this woman. She didn't even have the decency to share the money with a child who was chronically ill, and years later she's casually asking about Hanabi's health?

Who on Earth does that? Hinata bit down on her bottom lip momentarily before answering, "She's getting by."

"Wonderful to hear! So, what brings you here?" As if she didn't already know.

"I'm here to ask you about my father's will." Hinata hadn't stuttered once and she was quite proud of herself. However, the feeling of pride went away when she saw Himeko's face visibly sour. Now Hinata was beginning to feel anxious all over again.

"Why bring up something as old as that? That will is old news, dear."

Hinata was taken aback. "Old news?" She questioned. "Excuse me, but my father's will has always been relevant. I'm bringing this up because I never got the chance to look at it and I would like to. I would have checked it at court but I was informed that it wasn't filed, and you are in possession of it."

Sunahara crossed her legs in one swift motion and leaned back in her chair to fold her arms across her chest. "Uh-huh. And what do you think you'll find on that piece of paper, Hinata? Enlighten me."

"My name." She answered without hesitation. "And if it isn't on there then handing the paper to me shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Her stepmother's brow creased in annoyance. "I don't have it. Now please leave. You're becoming an annoyance." But Hinata wouldn't allow herself to be thrown out so easily. "You're lying. You have to be. Why wouldn't you keep something stating that this entire empire is yours? It isn't logical."

"And why do you insist that your father put your name on his will?"

"Because he's my father!" Hinata countered, fed up with this silly little game they were engaged in. "He couldn't have left my sister and I with nothing, he knew that Hanabi was sick! He wasn't an evil man! Give me the will."

In a fit of rage, Himeko slammed her fists on her desk, quite finished with Hinata's incessant claims about her father. "Oh please! You only wish that he left you his money – that's it. He loved me, he put _my_ name in there as a product of that love –"

"Then why don't you have it if it's such a staple of your love?" Hinata interjected.

"I deserved it–!"

"Not more than Hanabi!" Her hands were now balled up into fists. "You're a monster. You stole from a sick little girl and her sister! Do you have any idea what you put us through!? Two surgeries. _Two_! I had to scrape for money in order to take care of her! I couldn't go to school like I wanted to or have friends or live a normal life because of you and you selfishness! I want my money and I want it _now_."

Her stepmother said nothing more to Hinata. Instead, she hit a button on her phone. It rang twice before her secretary picked up. "Yes, Miss Sunahara?"

"My meeting with Hinata Hyuga is now over. Send someone to usher her downstairs and please make it known that she's not allowed back here." Without another word from her secretary, Sunahara hung up and cast a glare Hinata's way.

It didn't faze her in the slightest. "I don't need escorting. I'll leave on my own accord." And Hinata never looked back. If her stepmother wasn't willing to work on her terms, then Kurenai was her best bet. A part of her even kind of regretted not bringing a weapon with her.

Hinata was angry. How could she just sit there with her and hold a casual conversation with her even though she stole from right under her nose? How could she sit there and blatantly lie to her that she didn't have a piece of paper proving that she owned something?

How could she have stolen from her without a second thought on the destruction it could have caused her and Hanabi. That woman was soulless. While contemplating all of this, Hinata didn't even realize the tears that slid past her cheeks and onto the elevator floor.

She never caught the look of concern of Naruto's face when she emerged from the elevator but she could feel his sympathy for her by the way he held her as she sobbed into his chest. "I hate her!" She let out a muffled cry. "I hate her and everything she's done! I'm asking my boss for help."

"Hinata, c'mon now. That's not the answer, you know that." She wanted to ask the drug lord of all people for help? Hinata pulled away from him and through her tears, shot him a look of disbelief.

"Naruto, are you serious right now? She's the reason why I grew up thinking that my father didn't love me. She's the reason that for such a long time I was never able to actually love myself. She put my sister and I through hell, Naruto. Give me one reason I shouldn't call a hit on this woman."

She watched him pull something out of his pocket and hand it to her. It was a card. She rubbed it in between her thumb and index finger as her eyes scanned over it. It was his business card. "Naruto… No offence, but you're fresh of the bar…"

He let out a chuckle. "What? I gotta start somewhere, don't I?" Her face twisted into a look of horror and he moved to wipe her tears away. "Listen, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get what's rightfully yours, I promise. And if I fail, you can kill her and I'll work hard to become your defense attorney."

"If you can't help me on this, how are you going to defend me for murder?" A light giggle had accompanied that question, Naruto felt just a little more at ease. "Naruto, thank you."

The tears were gone but his hands still rested on both sides of her face. There was no need for her to thank him, he'd do this for her a million times over for her if he needed to. He gave his signature grin before saying "Anything for you."

And he meant that.


	10. Suit and Tie

I lied. This isn't the last chapter. The next one is, and then an epilogue. I realized it's been a month since I last updated. I've been (and still am) studying for midterms so updates are gonna be slower than ever. But I haven't given up, don't worry!

Man, for some reason, I felt really apprehensive to post this.

Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 10:** Suit and Tie

* * *

The feeling of unemployment was surprisingly numb this time around. It wasn't the soul-crushing feeling of despair that knocked her on her back years ago. Hinata felt nothing and she wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not.

Kurenai was very understanding of the situation and gave her the last paycheck (and her share from her last few deliveries in cash) she'd ever receive from Crimson Therapeutics before letting her walk out the door. It was enough to support Hanabi's needs and them some but Hinata was sure it'd be gone in a little over a month.

Hinata buried her face in her hands. Was it stupid of her to quit now? If she wasn't able to get the money from her stepmother, what was she supposed to do? She had put on a brave front for Hanabi but in actuality, she was terrified.

But she refused to go back to that life. This was a fresh start and she couldn't go back on her word. There had to be some other way around this – some other way to support the two of them. When she thought back on it, she supposed that she did take that job for Kurenai rather hastily but that was only because Hanabi was in need of a surgery at the time and there were no other options.

Maybe this time Hinata could find a few normal jobs to look for instead. There had to be a few places hiring, right?

Lifting her face from her hands, she reached for today's newspaper right across the kitchen table. Nothing but odd jobs so far. After about three minutes of looking for jobs and slowly losing hope, there was a knock on the door.

It was a bit unexpected. It was only 11:30 in the morning. Hanabi usually finished with her classes at 2:30 on Thursdays and even if it was her, Hinata was sure she had her keys. Hinata slightly pushed herself up on her toes to look through the peephole.

She didn't need to. A loud bark echoed through the halls and Hinata quickly flung the door open to usher her friends inside as quietly as possible. "Kiba, there's a strict 'no pets' policy here!" She whispered harshly. He strolled past her, ruffling her hair in the process as she gave a small pout.

"Please, like I care. I dare your landlord to tell Akamaru to get out." Kiba plopped down on the couch, legs open wide. He was taking up so much space. "Ain't that right Akamaru?" The large dog barked in response and Hinata quickly closed the door before turning to Shino.

"I'll take your coat." She told him.

Shino shrugged of his coat and handed it to her with a small 'thank you' before moving to sit next to Kiba, swatting his leg in the process so he could have more room. "We came to see how you were doing. Why? Because Kurenai told us that you quit the other day."

Hinata spun around to look towards the three of them. Then Akamaru let out a whine and buried his nose into his paws. "How much did she tell you?"

"Everything." Kiba answered. "She even told us that we're getting the boot if you get your money back from that bitch you call a stepmom." She was initially shocked at this. She never mentioned to Kurenai about wanting to hire Shino and Kiba if she was able to get the company.

She must have wanted things easier on the three of them and the thought of Kurenai doing what she could to give them that push (by legal means, surprisingly) was heartwarming. "I would like you both to work with me. Your sister wouldn't have to worry about you, Kiba. And Shino, this would be a new start for you."

They seemed to be giving it some serious thought, which was a good thing. The thought of leaving them behind didn't sit too well with her, especially since she knew that they had their own problems to work out.

"Hinata," Shino spoke up, "I don't want to discourage you, but in the event that this doesn't work out, where will that leave you?" He was wearing his shades still, but Hinata was sure that there was concern in his eyes.

Kiba sat up properly to rest his forearms in his lap. "Yeah. Are you gonna come back to Crimson?" Even Akamaru tilted his head to the side in question.

She shook her head. "No. I'm done with all of that now. After seeing you like that Shino… I just – I couldn't keep going. You both knew this was something I was too scared to do in the beginning." Hinata had cried for days when she first killed someone. It was Kiba who came to check on her every day to console her. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do it anymore. There has to be another way and I need to find it."

"If it comes down to it, I'll split my share with you." Shino said, and Hinata's eyes widened with shock. There was no way she could take his money like that. It wouldn't be fair to him. Before she could even voice that concern, Kiba had chimed in. "I second that."

At this point, she was frowning. "You guys, you really shouldn't. I'd feel awful and Kiba, you have a family you have to take care of. You need that money."

"C'mon Hinata, you're like extended family that I actually like. It's fine." He laughed. "'Sides, you'd feel even more awful if Hanabi had nothing. If it falls through, just take the money. Don't sweat it." She bit her lip. Of course her pride wouldn't allow her to take money from her friends but at the same time, if Hanabi's education or health really came down to it, Hinata knew that she wouldn't hesitate to take the money.

"You don't gotta worry about that though." Hinata shot Kiba a questioning look and he continued. "I mean, isn't that what Naruto's there for? He was so set on helping you out too. That guy's fucking crazy about you if he really wants to go that far."

Kiba was absolutely right. Naruto was trying his hardest to make sure that she'd get back every single penny that was ever stolen from her. Although she wanted a backup plan just in case things didn't go smoothly, she'd have to learn to put her trust in Naruto if they were ever going to have a chance of winning.

"He certainly does sound crazy." Shino mumbled, bringing Hinata out of her thoughts. "But I think he means well. It's a good thing you decided not to kill him last year." Hinata was absolutely mortified by the reminder but Kiba's cackling could be heard about four doors down. Shino always had a dark sense of humor but Hinata was starting to wonder if Shino's so-called jokes were actual jokes.

Even though they could be absolutely ridiculous at times, Hinata cherished them like family.

"Hey, you guys wanna go out for drinks? It's my treat." Kiba grinned.

Shino raised one of his eyebrows. "Now? Kiba, it's noon." Shino was sadly mistaken if he thought Kiba cared about what time it was when he wanted to get wasted. Hinata, who normally didn't drink, was on the same page as Kiba. After all of the mess she'd been dragged through recently, a drink would be nice.

"I don't see why not." Hinata started. "But, let's go later this evening. I'm sure Akamaru doesn't want to leave right now. Right, Akamaru?" She cooed. The dog stood up from his spot next by Kiba's feet to trot over to Hinata, rubbing his head on her leg.

She kneeled down to pet him and the warmth of his soft fur was stress-relieving. If Hinata could have the chance to buy a pet, she would. Being able to put her arms around Akamaru and having him affectionately lick her cheek made her happy. Watching him roll over to wait for tummy rubs made her break out into a cheesy smile. "See? Akamaru doesn't want to leave yet."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause Akamaru is a sellout for girls and belly rubs. But, I guess we can hang out here for a while." He picked up the television remote and switched it on. "What's even on at this time anyway?"

"Turn to channel 60." Shino said.

Kiba did and immediately regretted it. "Ugh, the insect channel? _Really_ Shino?"

"Just let him have it." Hinata said, quite focused on giving Akamaru tummy rubs. Although Kiba donned a look of annoyance, he was enjoying the company of his closest friends.

* * *

Naruto looked extremely tired – even more so than when he was studying for the bar exam. Hinata bit her lip, feeling a little guilty that she was the cause of his exhaustion. "It's late isn't it?" She told him, breaking the silence between them. "You can go over the case in the morning. Please don't overwork yourself."

He turned to give her his signature award winning grin but she could see that it was forced. "I'll go to bed soon, don't worry about it. For now, we have a lot of things to discuss, like our course of action, anything I should tell the judge–"

"Your payment." She cut in and Naruto's smile faltered. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, is something wrong?" Hinata watched him rub his eye with his right hand before he gave her an intent look.

"I'm not doing this for your money, Hinata." She opened her mouth to speak but he never gave her the chance. "It's pretty late. Shouldn't you be heading back to Hanabi?"

Oh no. He wasn't going to just change the subject on her like that and then kick her out as if he didn't just say something controversial. "Hanabi knows where I am, she will be fine." Hinata started. Her eyes never left Naruto. "In the meantime, what do you mean 'you're not doing this for my money,' Naruto?"

He turned away from her to review some papers on the coffee table. "I don't want you to pay me is what I meant."

She felt like he was pitying her. If they lost, not only would she have no money but she'd also have to pay for lawyer fees for herself and her mother-in-law. It sounded awful, but Hinata didn't want him to do her any favors.

But if they did win, she's have enough money to pay him what he rightfully worked for. So, why was he being so adamant about this?

"That doesn't sound like very good business practice." She commented, shooting him a look of skepticism. "You'll file for bankruptcy in the blink of an eye." Hinata watched the corners of his lips curve upwards into a smirk before parting to let out a low laugh.

It was times like this that Hinata could really appreciate just how beautiful Naruto really was. His hair was often unkempt but it was soft and she enjoyed running her fingers through it, especially when she was staring into his eyes.

They always seemed to hold that shine even through his exhaustion and she was always wondered how he pulled it off. Her favorite thing was his smile. It always put her worries at ease and it was highly infectious; he could light up a room with that smile.

"Of course I'm not gonna just represent people for free. You're just different is all." With that, he stood up from his spot on the couch to stretch his arms over his head and Hinata caught a small glimpse of his abdomen before his arms fell to his side. "I guess I should pick this up tomorrow. I can't even read properly anymore."

Hinata rose from her seat with her purse in tow. "Then, I'll call you tomorrow to discuss everything?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Let me see you to the door."

He leaned up against the door frame and she stood out in the hall to wish him a good night before heading home. Though it seemed as though Naruto had other plans. As she turned to leave he reached out towards her, just barely getting ahold of her fingers.

She was surprised by the sudden touch but it wasn't exactly unwelcomed. Hinata moved to face him and Naruto wore one of the slyest grins she had ever seen. "Really? You're just gonna leave without giving me a kiss goodnight?"

Her brow furrowed for a moment as her lips tried desperately not to break into a smile. Hinata failed miserably and a small giggle escaped her. Funny, she looked just like this when Naruto found the courage to introduce himself in City Hall.

Wordlessly, Hinata raised herself on her toes as he leaned in to kiss her. It was a very sweet and gentle kiss. Her hands pressed firmly on his chest while his arms wrapped around her waist. It was slow, warm and it had left them both wondering when the last time they had shared a kiss like this was.

It was right after Ino's wedding.

When they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes momentarily. Naruto's lips parted slightly and it was a while before any words actually left him. "Do you… maybe wanna spend the night tonight?"

"Yes." She answered quickly. When she realized her hastiness, she blushed and looked towards her feet. "I mean… It would be nice. I um… I–"

"Missed you." He completed her sentence.

"Oh, terribly." Just the feeling of his arms around her created a warmth in the pit of her stomach. Hinata yearned for when they would lie together at two in the morning, just appreciating each other's company. Her fingers would fill the spaces in between his and she'd burry her face into the crook of his neck. Hinata truly did feel happy around Naruto and undoubtedly, he felt the same.

Hinata sat on the edge of his bed, shooting her sister a text message as Naruto rummaged around his drawer to find a suitable t-shirt for her to sleep in. She listened to him mumble to himself and she tilted her head in question. "Naruto, there are a lot of shirts in there. Surely you can just pick one."

He stopped and closed the drawer only to open one of the lower ones. "I'm looking for one that'll suit you the best." Hinata's eyes narrowed. It was only a shirt that she'd be wearing to bed. Why was he being so weird about this?

Soon, Naruto held up a blue t-shirt. "Konoha High" it read on the right breast in white letters. It looked much too small to fit him but it looked like it would fit her almost perfectly. "I had this shirt in high school." He beamed before handing it to her. "Here, you can wear it."

"No pants?" She questioned.

He chuckled. "I don't think my sweats can fit you."

Hinata looked at Naruto to the plain blue shirt and then at Naruto once more. "You… you just want to see me in my panties." She frowned as she watched him scratch the back of his head.

"Hehe, was I a bit too obvious?"

He was _very_ obvious. Hinata set aside the t-shirt to remove her clothing. It was only after she did that Naruto reached out to touch her shoulder, his thumb gently rubbing over her scar. Hinata thought of the first time he had pointed out her scars. He was so interested in each and every story they told about her struggle – her survival.

This scar, however, was different. He had been there when it was still a terrible wound and he was there throughout its entire healing process. There was no story to tell because he watched it all unfold in front of him. Naruto watcher her misery, her pain; he watched her slow descent into a spot of hopelessness.

It was probably the ugliest scar she had ever received because of the story it told and Hinata sincerely wished from the bottom of her heart that that night had never happened. She wished that she would have stayed with Shino, because maybe it would have meant that she would have never had to see him crumpled on the floor with wide eyes and erratic breathing.

It would have meant that she wouldn't have gotten a chance to see the amount of blood he lost or hear his ragged, almost breathless voice assure her that he was alright when in reality, he wasn't even sure if he was okay. It would have meant that she would have never heard him say to her that he wished that she just left him there.

Hinata's breath hitched, and the wavering look in her eye caused Naruto to panic. "Hinata? Hinata, what's wrong?"

She drew her shoulder away from him harshly, clutching it as tightly as she could. "Please don't touch it!" She hadn't meant to cry out like that, with such fear and anxiousness but that was the only way her voice found its way out. "Please don't. I-I…"

Naruto raised both of his hands where she could see them and slowly took two steps back. "Look, I'm not touching you, see? I'll stay over here for as long as you want me to, kay? You wanna cover up?" Hinata nodded hesitantly and he allowed her some space to properly put on the t-shirt he lent her.

She looked much calmer after the scar was covered, but he could read something else in her. Embarrassment. He watched as she sat on the edge of his bed once more to bury her face in her hands. He never said a word. After a moment of silence, he moved to sit next to her and it was then that she had spoken.

"I'm sorry." She started. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I… I got scared. And it's not your fault!" Hinata added that last part hastily, removing her face from her hands to face him. "None of this is your fault… I'm just…"

"You don't need to apologize, it's fine. Maybe you should get some sleep too? You look tired yourself."

She shook her head. "No. I um… I can't." Hinata let out a small sigh. "I get terrible nightmares from time to time… about Shino and about everything I've ever done to support Hanabi. I've been getting them ever since I've been in the hospital and tonight I just want to be normal. I want to be happy."

And spending the night with him even if her body was dying to rest a little would achieve that. But she wouldn't let the words leave her lips. She turned to face him and he in turn lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. "You can sleep." He assured her. Hinata was ready to protest but Naruto cut in before she got the chance. "Sleep. I'll be here with you. If you have the nightmare, I'll get you some water and we can stay up together. I won't let you go through that alone so trust me, kay?"

Hinata gave a reluctant nod before moving to get under warm blankets. She had been just as tired as Naruto and would have loved to close her eyes for a few minutes. The room went dark and Hinata could feel Naruto slide into bed next to her. He wrapped her in his arms and her face was buried in the crook of his neck and she could smell his cologne that she loved so much. "Naruto?" She called out.

"Hmm?"

"Why won't you let me pay you when this is all over?"

He was quiet for a moment, aside from steady breathing and a rhythmic heartbeat. "Remember why I wanted to become a lawyer?" She remembered it vividly. It was one of their first dates after all. Naruto could feel her nod and he went on. "I said I wanted to protect people in my own way. I want to protect you in my own way. The only way I know how, actually. I don't want anything from you, just to know that you're happy."

Hinata clutched on to the soft fabric of his shirt and the only words she was able to express was "thank you." But there was so much more to say than just "thank you." There was so much more to do than just lie here silently in his arms.

Yet, she was doing exactly that.

Naruto had continuously shown through their time together just how much of a beautiful person he was. Naruto was always selfless when it came to Hinata and her needs. He worked to make sure she was physically and mentally stable. Naruto really did love her.

And Hinata loved him too.

* * *

"So, how's my client doing today?"

One would have never guessed that for an entire week, Naruto barely got any sleep with how cheerful and lively he was this morning. Then again, Hinata did watch him down a couple of shots of espresso. Would he really be okay in the courtroom today?

"I… won't lie. I am a bit nervous." She confessed. As the date approached closer, Hinata slowly became more anxious to the point where she hardly ate and barely slept. The thought of having to see her stepmother in court made her sick to her stomach.

She tried to remain positive, she really tried but the thought of losing was eating her up. It seemed as though her nights alone couldn't compare to the nights she spent with Naruto. He'd make sure she was eating (they always got unhealthy takeout when they were together) and she was able to fall asleep in his bed, even though she woke up every few hours.

By herself, Hinata would stare at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts. Her insecurities would wrap themselves around her already weak body and suffocate her slowly. And Hinata couldn't do much to take her mind off of it. She was against waking her sister up at three in the morning just to forget about herself or desperately pound on Naruto's door at four in the morning. An inconvenience was not something that Hinata Hyūga wanted to be.

Suddenly, large hands grabbed hold of her shoulders and gave then a light, reassuring squeeze. Naruto stared directly into her eyes with a warm gaze and grinned. "Don't be. You'll be fine, I promise. So, what's the first thing you're gonna do when we win, huh?"

There was an air of confidence about him – something that seemed to placate Hinata's terrible nerves. A ghost of a smile spread across her lips and she answered so quietly that Naruto had to strain to hear her. "Sleep." She told him. "I'm so tired. I just want to sleep."

He laughed heartily for a moment and his breath smelled faintly of mint and coffee – loads of coffee. "Then you can sleep in my arms when this is all over." It was accompanied with a wink and she could feel the corners of her mouth tug upwards.

"I go to the bathroom for a few minutes and you two are already flirting?" Hanabi stood before the two with hands on her hips and she threw a look of skepticism their way. "It's only eight in the morning, what's the matter with you two?"

Naruto drew his hands from Hinata's shoulders to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "We weren't even flirting…" He mumbled. "'Sides, if you think that's how I flirt, you've got a pretty lame perception of me. I dunno if I appreciate that."

Hanabi gave a snort and a laugh before engaging in a casual conversation with Naruto. It was relieving to see them getting along. The two of them were almost like family. Engaging in witty banter, laughing; they looked like they knew each other from the 80's in all honesty. It made her think about how well he fit into her little family and that thought alone made her heart stir with warmth and happiness.

"Hey, you all should head inside the courtroom," one of the security guards called out to them, "the proceedings will start shortly." They gave a nod and their thanks before watching his walk off. All of Hinata's nervousness was starting to come back again. Her fingers trembles slightly and it was getting a little hard to breathe.

But Naruto places his hand on the small of her back. "Hey, hey. Don't get all worked up now. This is what we've been waiting for, right? To legally kick her ass in court." He laughed and she cracked a smile too. "Everything'll be okay, I promise."

Hinata trusted him.

Beyond the large mahogany doors was the large courtroom with its white tilled flooring so shiny, Hinata could see her reflection in it. The wooden chairs behind the railing were already filled and Hinata was sure that she could see reporters… even cameramen.

Of course. The famous Hiashi Hyūga's daughter resurfaces on the earth after being gone for almost seven years, and the first thing she does is accuse her stepmother of theft – of course the press would be all over this.

And it didn't help that the mayor's son was having his first trial today. The reporters were going to eat all that up too as well as the rumors about her being his "mystery girlfriend." Hinata just wanted this day to be over with already and it had only just begun.

By this point, Hinata wasn't fazed in the least when her stepmother and her lawyer sat at the table opposite of them. Her mind was too busy circling around the press pestering her after this entire ordeal was over with.

"Hey, you okay sis?" Hanabi mumbled, poking her sister's arm. "You've got that 'I am so done with everything' look on your face. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not."

Hinata was quite finished with everything. She also wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not either but it did feel good since it numbed her feelings of apprehension. The loud banging of the wooden gavel shook Hinata out of her thoughts and she looked up to find a middle-aged woman with slightly greying hair and a stern face seated at the head of the courtroom.

"And we're here for the trial Hyūga versus Sunahara, correct?" She asked in her slightly raspy voice. Then she cleared her throat. "Is the defendant ready?"

Himeko's lawyer fixed his glasses, sliding them closer to his face with his middle and index finger. "We're ready, Your Honor." His voice was smooth like velvet and he wore quite the cocky smile on his face. This man probably had years of practice considering that Himeko only paid for the best and most expensive things she could get her hands on. She was like that with clothing and jewelry – no surprise she'd be that way with whomever she decides to hire as well.

"Plaintiff?" She asked, fixing her eyes over to Hinata's table. For a second she slipped back into old habits, averting her eye when someone was speaking to her. It had taken a lot of strength to force herself to look this woman dead in the eye, even if she wasn't speaking.

"Ready to go." Naruto answered with such confidence.

It was strange.

Naruto was so goofy and personable around friends and with her, he was always sweet and tender. In the courtroom in front of a crowd of strangers, Naruto Namikaze was this steely-gazed, no-nonsense attorney whose words sent shivers up her spine; and he was on _her_ side!

He took his job very seriously, from his demeanor down to the way he dressed. His navy blue suit must have been expensive. It wasn't too tight or baggy and it accentuated the build Hinata knew he had underneath. It was perfectly tailored, not a single thread sticking out where it shouldn't have been. She saw him adjust his orange tie twice. Both times were right before he was about to speak. It didn't seem like a nervous tick. She knew that Naruto scratched the back of his head or rubbed the back of his neck when he was embarrassed or nervous.

Even if it was out of nervousness, it wasn't like she could tell. He was so difficult to read. But then she caught a tiny up curve of his lips while he spoke. Was he happy about all of this? Well, this was his big debut in court after all, but it felt like there was more to it. Then it clicked.

Naruto took pride in defending her.

Sure, a triumphant smirk would spread across his lips every time he countered and argument, but when referring to "his client" his tone of voice was much more serious than usual. It made her feel hopeful for the first time in a very long time. Instinctively, Hinata reached for her sister's hand for support and Hanabi gladly provided it. The two of them exchanged reassuring hand squeezes as they listened intently to the court proceedings.

"So, all this confusion seems to be circling around this will that the plaintiff has never seen before. Why hasn't she seen the will before and where is it?"

"In my client's defense, the plaintiff had not contacted her about it for years." Himeko's lawyer said. "We only received word about it a month ago. Surely the grace period for her to file a lawsuit is finished by now."

"Objection." Naruto called out.

"Sustained."

He cleared his throat. "When my client's father passed away, she was only seventeen, and her sister thirteen. She was still in need of a legal guardian and the defendant left after the burial of her late husband. I don't think my client had the _time_ to contact her, since she was working to provide for herself and her sister."

"And if she was in need of the money that badly, I'm sure she would have made time to talk to my client. But that never happened."

Hinata could feel her hope slipping away. Maybe she should have contacted her stepmother earlier. But she didn't know she was supposed to do any of that! How could she have known? It wasn't like they studied that kind of stuff in detail at school. All she could recall learning in school were weird math equations and how to properly analyze a book.

And those weren't going to help her with her current situation, now were they?

"I repeat, where is this will?" The judge asked and her stepmother's lawyer pulled out a document from his briefcase with a smirk. Hinata's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. They had the will all along? And they were just handing it over willingly?

Maybe her name really wasn't on that paper after all…

"Excuse me?" Naruto called out. "Where was this document when we asked for it a month ago? We were told that you didn't have it!"

Miss Sunahara donned an arrogant look – very unbecoming of her. "I didn't. At least, I didn't think I did. But I found it locked away in storage. Now everyone can have a look at what's actually on there." Her eyes lingered on a defeated looking Hinata before giving a smirk of satisfaction.

"Alright. We'll have a fifteen minute recess while I overlook this document, is that clear?" There wasn't even time to respond when the gavel slammed down on the podium once more. Hinata buried her head in her hands. She had made a terrible fool out of herself trying to sew this woman over something that probably wasn't even hers in the first place. Maybe her father really didn't care after all.

Hinata wanted to cry.


	11. Tennis Bracelet

We're at the last chapter! Thanks so much for sticking with this guys, I appreciate it.

(The story says complete, but don't worry, I'm going to have a little 2000 word-ish epilogue up.)

Please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 11: Tennis Bracelet

* * *

With a heavy heart, Hinata stood into the corner of the plaintiff lobby by herself. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she had somewhat of a dejected look in her eyes. If only she could go back in time to stop herself from doing something so stupid. Accusing her stepmother of thievery? Really? What even possessed her to take this to court?

Naruto's bright, confident smile was what did it.

And she couldn't even blame him for this embarrassment. None of this was his fault, he was only trying to help. She was the one who thought that maybe there was hope for her and Hanabi. She was the one who thought that for the first time since they were children, they could live normal, happy lives. She was the one who, for a second, had an unrealistic vision of her future.

How could she let herself be so… so _naïve_?

Hinata was always rational and honest with herself. Over the years, optimism just wasn't a word that was in her vocabulary anymore. Can you imagine? At one point, it was the very core of her being; it was something that made life just a bit more bearable. Now? Now Hinata felt like a sorry excuse for a person.

She couldn't even look at her sister, who was sitting just a few feet away from her. Hinata had been so confident in front of her, telling her that things would be different and to have faith, but look where that got them. What was she going to do? Hinata had no source of income anymore. After this whole mess of a court proceeding hit television, she'd be the laughingstock of the whole city – the entire country even! Who would even want to hire a poor sap like her?

Soon, Hinata's face began to pale and her hands trembled terribly. All of this was making her feel sick, and she even had the sudden urge to vomit. The anxiety was starting to eat her alive. Sweat dotted the top of her forehead and all of a sudden, it was getting harder to breathe.

"Hinata,"

She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. His voice was rather distinct and unmistakable. He called out to her so gently that it made her heart warm. However, she couldn't turn herself around to face him. She opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a shaky exhale and a whimper.

Her eyes squeezed shut, embarrassed at the pathetic sound she made while Naruto's brow creased. Just the sight of her in such a vulnerable state made him angry. Hinata was, in his mind, somewhat of a lost girl. She was someone who put on a brave front when in reality, she's so fear stricken that she couldn't even move.

Naruto wanted to protect this woman with everything that he was, and then some. And if succeeded, maybe she'd smile again. She'd become happy again, and that was all Naruto ever wanted from her; just to see those pink lips curve upward and to hear that delicate laugh.

Failure was not an option. "Hinata, look at me, please."

"I… I can't. Please leave me alone for a moment. I just really want to be left alone." Her voice trembled and she was starting to fumble over her words a bit. The last time Naruto had seen her like this was at the hospital and he told himself that he never wanted to see her like that again.

So going through this again really hurt his heart.

"I uh… I got you some water. Please drink it, kay?" It sounded as if he were begging her to let him help and as much as Hinata didn't want him to see her, she turned to face him. The small paper cup was almost filled to the brim. Hinata didn't know how thirsty she actually was until she found herself yearning for another drop of water when her cup was empty. "Listen to me," Naruto started. "We're gonna get through this. We're gonna be fine, okay?"

Hinata bit her lip. "How can you be so sure? Naruto, maybe my father really did give her everything. He loved her so much and it would make sense…"

"More than he loved you and Hanabi?" He questioned. His intense stare made her shift uncomfortably before she nodded. If he truly loved her and her sister, this wouldn't have been happening in the first place, right? "I think you're wrong."

Hinata blinked. "Wrong?"

"My mentor and I were having a talk a little while ago. It's a fake, it's gotta be."

Fake? Her stepmother couldn't have stooped so low, could she? She shook her head in disbelief but Naruto wasn't giving up so easily. "C'mon Hinata – you've gotta believe me. Just look at the facts. You asked her for the will forever ago and she said she didn't have it. Why would she just whip it out now?"

To crush her spirit and embarrass her in front of the entire city to teach her a lesson about trying touch the invulnerable Himeko Sunahara? It sounded like a plausible idea. "Even so… how will you prove it? I'm sure they're incredibly easy to forge, aren't they?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll figure it out. I have to if it means that you'll get what's rightfully yours." He said with a grin so wide that Hinata let herself slip into the thought of them regaining hope once more. As much as she wanted to write off the notion, there was something about Naruto that made her feel secure. She believed in him when he said he'd protect her, and even though she lost faith in her father and in herself, she wouldn't lose that faith in him.

"I'm gonna head over to talk with my mentor about this for a bit. Maybe you should check on Hanabi. She was really worried about you."

When Hinata turned and locked eyes with Hanabi, she immediately scrambled to her feet and gave a smile. Hinata found herself smiling back. Even if she lost this case, it'd be okay. Hinata wasn't completely alone. She had Hanabi. She had Kiba and Shino.

She had _Naruto_.

* * *

And the trial of Sunahara vs. Hyūga resumed, but not without murmured gossip flying around about Hinata, her stepmother, and this entire situation. One person murmured that Hinata had to have been disowned and that's why she was written out of her father's will. Another said that her stepmother was probably a crook, and stole the money as easily as stealing candy from a baby.

The gossip, despite being for or against her, wasn't making her feel very good. She was determined to look past it. Hinata had no time to let herself succumb to the silly chatter of people who didn't even know her. Her focus was solely on Naruto, the judge and Miss Sunahara. Everything else was secondary at this point.

When the sound of the wooden gavel hitting the desk rang out into the courtroom, everyone had gone silent. The judge announced that they'd be getting started, and when she had given Naruto permission to speak, he didn't hesitate to get right to his point.

"Your Honor, that will, to put it bluntly, is a fake."

"Objection," Himeko's lawyer called out.

"Overruled," said the judge. "Mister Namikaze, how do you suppose that this will is indeed fake? You haven't seen it yet."

With the clearing of his throat, Naruto went on. "Your Honor, I don't need to see it to know it's fake. There was no record of the will for six years. I'm sure that if Miss Sunahara's name was on it, the will would have been filed and considered public record for anyone to access. It's very unlikely that a woman of her stature lost an important document like that in just days of having it, am I right?"

"If I could interject, Your Honor," Himeko's lawyer cut in, before the judge gave her nod of approval. "Of course my client is a woman of professionalism, but she didn't lose the document herself. Her former lawyer did. It was to be filed ages ago, however he slipped up, and the document was lost."

Naruto almost scoffed. "Oh, is that so? How was it lost in the first place? Because your client said not too long ago that she found it in storage, and unless she and her lawyer were smitten with one another, I find it highly unlikely that he lost it in her personal storage."

"Oh, but you see Mister Namikaze," the lawyer started, "my client and her previous lawyer _were_ smitten with one another, something I'm sure you'd know all about." Naruto grit his teeth. Whisperings of Naruto and Hinata's relationship began to fly around. It was a conflict of interest, and he knew that, but to leave Hinata on her own like that? Even if it cost him his reputation, he couldn't do that to her. "As I was saying, it is very plausible that the document was lost there when the two of them were together and found very recently."

"I see you've taken a liking to trashy gossip magazines. Anyway, leave my private matters out of the courtroom."

That tone of voice sent shivers down Hinata's spine, and the murmurings behind them had stopped. So there _were_ sides to Naruto she never knew. His gaze hardened and his lips curled into a scowl. She could feel the wave of anger that washed over him one second, then in another, it was gone. Naruto's poker face had returned as if his anger had never been there to begin with.

"You say that it's plausible, but you aren't certain. If you want to talk possibilities, we're certain Miss Sunahara has gone into her own storage in between the time the document was lost until now, right? Isn't is possible she could have found it while in there one of those days? Isn't it possible that she went to search for it frantically after it was lost? Why did it take my client questioning her about it six years later for her to get up and search for it?"

Soon the arguments were going back and forth and were so fast paced that Hinata could hardly keep up. However, she did watch Naruto with a look of admiration. He was quick on his feet, always ready for a rebuttal, always ready to protect and uphold her name.

Hinata found comfort in that.

Once Naruto was actually able to see the document for himself, there were a few things he remembered Hinata mentioned her father owning that weren't on there. He and the judge questioned about missing properties and estates that were known to be Hyūga owned, but this will didn't include them.

That was when Himeko started to sweat and her lawyer had begun to draw out some makeshift arguments. It took all of Naruto's willpower to keep from grinning.

 _Checkmate._

The gavel slammed down on the desk again, and the judge was finally ready to hand down her verdict. Hinata waited with bated breath, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. This was it – this was what she and Hanabi had been waiting for. The next words that came out of this woman's mouth could change their lives forever. It could make or break them.

Her hands found Hanabi's, and Hinata gave her hand a tight squeeze as the silence had her at the edge of her seat.

"In the case of Sunahara versus Hyūga, I find the defendant liable –"

"Liable!?" Himeko practically screeched. And as her blood boiled with rage, a sense of relief swept through Hinata. Everything was going to be okay. She'd have money to care for herself and her sister. She was free from living a life full of crime in order so support the two of them. Hinata was finally normal. The moment she and Hanabi looked at each other, they embraced each other. Hanabi even cried a little.

In her defense, it was Hinata who had gotten teary-eyed first.

"Don't cut me off when I'm talking Sunahara. You've had this supposed will for years on end, and you didn't think to do anything with it until just now? And not to mention it's missing quite a few things on here! You want me to believe that this hastily thrown together, poor excuse for a will that doesn't even contain all of someone's riches, is real? I know a rat when I smell one, Sunahara. How dare you come into my courtroom and lie to me?"

What started out as a civil court case turned out to be so much more. Himeko stole millions of dollars from Hinata and Hanabi, making it a criminal case. Apparently she'd have to go to court once more, but that was okay. Hinata was sure that she could handle it.

Naruto wouldn't have been her attorney this time. "I don't do criminal cases," was what he said with a wink. Once they left the courthouse, they were swamped with reporters and such, pestering about the trial and silly rumors that may or may not have been true. But through all that, Hinata didn't get to thank him the way she wanted to.

And she didn't meet face to face with him for a while after the verdict passed. Winning was supposed to be a good thing, right?

Then why did she feel so hollow?

* * *

"Happy birthday, Hinata!"

The sounds of party poppers going off startled her, but the warm, welcoming smiles were enough to get her heartrate to settle down. Hanabi, Kiba, Shino and Ino stood in the living room of her new apartment in front of a banner that read "happy birthday" in beautiful cursive handwriting.

Must've been Ino's doing.

"You guys," Hinata mumbled, burying her face into her hands. "Wait, how'd you even get Ino to come?"

"Me and Ino ran into each other a while ago and exchanged numbers!" Hanabi cried. "She's the actual mastermind behind this little shindig."

Ino remembered her birthday? Hinata was absolutely touched. "Did… did you really? Oh Ino, that's really sweet of you."

Scratching the side of her cheek in embarrassment, Ino laughed. "Well yeah! You won a court case not too long ago and you got yourself a new apartment and didn't even let me throw you a housewarming party! This is the least I could do for you!"

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "Aren't people who live in the house the only ones eligible to actually throw a housewarming party?" Ino, with her hands on her hips, shushed Kiba as Hanabi took her sister's coat. This was a party Hinata could get behind. There were no big crowds and loud music, only a few people that she loved dearly spending time with her on her special day. It was easy to just let her guard down and relax with people who she knew cared for her.

"Hinata, would you like a glass of wine?" Shino asked. Hinata wasn't a big drinker, but tonight was her night. She nodded and watched as the red beverage partially filled the glass.

"Thank you, Shino."

"Aww, Shino what about me?" Hanabi cried.

Hinata frowned. "No."

"Hey, I'm already 21 now!" Hanabi argued. "Pour me a glass, Shino!"

Shino was starting to feel conflicted. Hinata watched him with narrowed eyes as she crossed her legs and arms. He didn't want to displease the birthday girl but her sister was glaring at him as she shook her glass in her hand, crying "It's illegal to deny me booze!"

Although Shino had done much worse illegal things, something as innocent as pouring his friend's little sister a glass of wine played upon his conscience heavily. "But, wine won't help your condition very much, right?"

Hanabi set the glass down while crossing her arms in a huff, muttering about how having illnesses wasn't fun while Hinata thanked Shino once again. Despite that, the five of them had a good time joking around and eating takeout. It wasn't long before Hanabi started talking about presenting gifts to Hinata, who complained saying, "You guys, the party was enough. You really didn't have to."

"Oh but we wanted to. Here, this one's from me!" Hanabi cried, handing Hinata a large box wrapped Christmas giftwrapping paper. "I wanted birthday giftwrap but it was really short notice and we only had Christmas ones in the house."

Hinata let out a giggle before carefully and neatly pulling off the gift wrap from her present. Hanabi rolled her eyes. Was her older sister meticulous in damn near everything she did? Once the box was out of the giftwrap, Hinata read aloud, "30-piece stainless steel baking set?"

"Yup! I know how much you liked baking when we were younger so I thought you'd like to start again," Hanabi grinned. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." There was a warmth to Hinata's smile, and it made Hanabi feel fuzzy inside. Hinata was her sweet, happy self again, and to know that she was only helping to widen Hinata's smile made Hanabi feel like their relationship was taking a turn for the better. "Thank you so much Hanabi, I think I'll use it pretty soon." She said before setting the gift down to receive Kiba's gift.

The box was much smaller compared to Hanabi's, and she couldn't really place the sound when she shook it. "Aww man Hinata, just open it already. I'm sure mine is the best gift here."

"Better than mine?" Hanabi challenged.

"Of course," Kiba said with a cocky grin.

"Oh, I love this perfume!" Hinata cried. It was a small bottle called _Pink Champagne_ and was Hinata's favorite scent. It wasn't too sweet, and was very refined. How did Kiba remember this was her favorite? She remembered only saying it in passing. "Thank you Kiba, I really appreciate this."

Kiba snickered while Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Told ya she'd like mine the best."

"I love both of your presents equally." Hinata said as she began to open Shino's.

"She's just being nice to you." Hanabi commented offhandedly, and Kiba made a face. Those two bickered like children sometimes.

"Scented candles, Shino?" Hinata smiled. She didn't take him as the type.

He nodded. "Yes. You've mentioned wanting a couple once or twice, and they smelled nice in the store. Just like cinnamon."

Well, Hinata did love the smell of cinnamon. "Thank you, Shino."

"Oh, oh! Now you can open _my_ gift, Hina~" Ino practically purred as she held a pink and black pin striped bag with the word _Laces_ written in cursive. Hinata's face began to grow hot. "Oh come on now, don't be shy! Everyone has to own a pair of lingerie at some point in their life."

"But Sis does have panties like that already, right?"

" _Hanabi!_ " Hinata scolded. "Not in front of the boys!"

Shino only sat quietly, unbothered by the whole situation as Kiba rolled his eyes. "Ugh, who cares? They're just a pair of panties right? Open the gift."

Hinata took the bag from Ino and took a quick peek in the bag before closing it again. All she saw were a bunch of sheer lines, and decided it'd be best to open this gift when she was alone. "Thanks anyway, Ino." She mumbled.

"Oh, before I forget," said Ino as she handed Hinata a small, rectangular box. "Here, this is for you."

Hinata blinked. "You got me another present?"

"No, this one's from Naruto. I invited him but he's been caught up with work, so he told me to give that to you."

They hadn't spoken in quite a while. Hinata was a bit surprised that he was still thinking of her, but being in his thoughts wasn't a bad thing. The box contained a tennis bracelet, which made her frown. She felt terrible not being able to pay him for his work. Now she was feeling even worse about this expensive, diamond bracelet she had no need for.

She could hear Kiba whistle. "Woah, Naruto really went all out. But that's a rich boy for you, I guess."

"It really pretty," Hanabi said in awe. Ino could only nod in agreement.

"It looks like there's a paper underneath it, Hinata," said Shino.

He was right. She carefully pulled it out from under the bracelet and unfolded it, eyes scanning over the words slowly. It read:

 _Happy Birthday!_

 _I wish I could've seen you today, but I've been taking cases left and right. It's been pretty busy around here._

 _I heard you moved. Ino told me. Where's my invite? I'd love to see your new place._

 _Have you been alright? I really miss you. It's so weird not being able to hold you and talk to you._

 _We should really catch up sometime. I want to see you again._

"Love, Naruto." Kiba finished and Hinata pressed the note to her chest to conceal it from him.

"K-Kiba! You can't just read my things like that!" She cried.

He shrugged. "He's got such bad handwriting, so that was one of the only things I could read." Hinata sighed in relief before looking over the note once more. Maybe she'd give him a call tonight. The worst he could say was that he was busy and ask for her to call back, right?

After reading his letter, Hinata couldn't focus on anything other than the eccentric blond lawyer who clouded her thoughts.

* * *

Hinata hadn't visited her father ever since her stepmother took off with her money, but that was only because he had no time. Well, that was partially true. Even if she did have the time, she wouldn't have gone because she had truly thought that he had betrayed her and Hanabi.

She went years believing her father hadn't cared about her or her sister and saw no need to pay her respects to a man who would have willingly let his youngest child die of heart disease. Now Hinata knew that she was in the wrong, and decided to pay her respects to him.

Hinata went to apologize for every terrible thought that ran through her mind when she thought of him, and for not believing in his love for them. He must have been so lonely there, with no one to say, "Hey," every once in a while or give him flowers to show that he was appreciated.

From what she remembered in her time spent at Ino's flower shop, purple hyacinths were the perfect flower to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Hinata thought that it would be a step in the right direction for her.

His grave was as fancy as she remembered it. A woman made out of marble rested her head on the headstone as if she were crying. Hinata almost scoffed, remembering that Himeko was the one who picked out such an unnecessary headstone.

Hinata placed the bouquet down gently before shoving her hands in the pockets of her pea coat. She had forgotten to bring gloves and the cold, January air began to nip unpleasantly at her fingertips. Now Hinata wasn't sure what she should do. It felt wrong to leave but, what was she supposed to say? It wasn't as if he could hear her, right?

If that was what she truly thought, why'd she bring the flowers then?

"Umm…" Hinata started, a bit unsure of herself. "Hello. It's been a while since I've last seen you." Her eyes drifted off from the silly headstone to the gates of the cemetery. "Hanabi and I were actually going to see you this weekend but I just thought I'd stop by and give my apologies.

"She had plans today, and I didn't want to disturb them. She's gone out with her boyfriend today. They go to college together and I met him the other day. He's very nice." And he was just as silly as Hanabi. Hinata was sure that the two of them were a perfect match.

"I've um… Father, I've done some things that I am not proud of. And if you can see me, I'm sure you've watched everything. What I've done was truly disgraceful, and I'm sure that if things hadn't worked out the way they did, I'd still be on the same path.

"But I don't regret it, not at all. I did what I had to do. You don't have to understand, but I ask that you forgive me. Actually, if you've been watching me, I have met someone very special to me. His name is Naruto and he's helped me fix my life. I love that man with all of my heart, but I haven't told him. I'm feeling… shy."

A light blush dusted her cheeks and she wanted to laugh. The two of them had slept together, for goodness sakes, but the thought of uttering three little words to him made her feel faint. He made her feel like a little school girl again, getting her first crush. How silly.

"Look at me, going on about my love life. I'm sure you didn't want to hear that. I do hope that you found mother and that the two of you are happy, wherever you are. I know that you loved her very much. Speaking of love…" Hinata mumbled, "Himeko confessed to everything the other day. She handed in the real will and it had our names on it.

"It also named her as our caretaker but, that didn't work out so well. I always thought that Himeko really loved you. You both seemed very happy back then, and there was even a picture of you in her office. But I don't think she loves you anymore. How could someone who loved you go behind your back and hurt your children like that?"

Hinata sighed. She was such a rotten woman, but Hinata would never have to deal with her anymore. "Um, it's getting pretty cold out now, so I should go. I'll see you this weekend." The walk back to her car wasn't a very long one, but before she left the cemetery gates, Hinata could hear the wind howling.

Hinata turned to face the direction of her father's grave with a smile. "I promise."

* * *

"It's freezing outside. May I please come in?" Hinata asked in a muffled voice, as her scarf covered her mouth. She stood in the doorway of Naruto's condo, waiting for him to let her in. Hearing his breathy chuckle kind of warmed her up a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. She could have sworn that she was melting.

"Your nose is so red. Look at that," He laughed, giving her nose a little pinch as Hinata scrunched up her face. Honestly, he could be so childish sometimes.

"Naruto," she whined, "stop it! It's not funny!" When he let go, she was able to look at him, and he had one of the biggest grins she had ever seen on his face. Much to her relief, Naruto was making this little reunion a lot less awkward than she initially anticipated.

But maybe she only thought it would be awkward because she had planned on confessing to him today. She planned exactly what she was going to say to him too. She'd start out with saying thank you for all his hard work and the birthday present, and go in for a kiss. Then hopefully she'd have enough courage to relay her feelings for him.

"Come here, lemme get your coat for you." He said, guiding her inside. She shrugged off her coat and he took it right after closing the door behind him. Hinata walked around his place, quite astonished with what she was seeing. Everything looked so neat and tidy.

"Wow, it looks so clean in here." She said quietly.

Naruto's face soured. "Hey! I'm not _totally_ lost without you!" He cried, and Hinata turned around to face him to apologize. However, she never got the chance to, as Naruto's posture slumped and he sighed. "Okay, I am pretty lost without you. It was really messy in here until a few days ago when you said you wanted to visit."

Hinata wanted to scold him, but instead giggled. "Oh hey! I see you're wearing the present I got you!" Naruto cried, pointing to her wrist. "It really looks good on you."

She held onto the tennis bracelet and gave him a frown. Uh oh. Did she really not like it? "It's beautiful, and I appreciate it but it must have been expensive. Naruto, I don't want you to spend money on unnecessary things for me."

"What? But it's not unnecessary," he said before wrapping his arms around her waist, gingerly pressing his lips to her ear. "I wanna spoil you." His warm breath tickled her. When she gasped, he let out a low chuckle.

How would she ever be able to confess to him if he was going to spend all day teasing her?

"Naruto, please stop."

Something was off. She felt tense; almost agitated even. He was sure that they'd have a great time together today since everything was working out for her now. So what happened? Naruto removed himself from her and watched as she turned to face him. "Is there something wrong, Hinata?"

"No, there's nothing wrong. I know this is late but I just… I just wanted to say thank you," she reached out to hold his hands. "Thank you so much for everything. I couldn't have gotten here without your support." Hinata watched as Naruto's cheeks turned a light pink color.

"Hey, it's no problem," he mumbled. "I mean anyone would have defended you. I was just doing my job."

"But it's so much more than that Naruto," she said. "You stuck by me, someone awful enough to take another person's life. You listened to my terrible crying and consoled me during ridiculous hours of the night. You took care of me and made sure I was always in my right state of mind. Naruto, if I hadn't met you I… I don't know where my life would be right now."

She could hardly control her emotions. Hinata could only list all the wonderful things he'd done for her instead of sticking to her original plan. It didn't take long for her to burst into tears right in front of him yet again. How many times was that now? She had lost count. Her arms wrapped around him and she buried her face into his chest with heaving shoulders. "Thank you so much! Thank you so much for loving me!"

Hinata could feel him wrap his arms around her protectively as he rest his chin on top of her head. He said nothing. The harder she cried, the more firm his embrace was. He hadn't thought about it, but what if he'd never found the courage to talk to her in city hall two years ago?

Would she still have been in the business? Would she have been as miserable as she was when they met each other? What if she had actually died on the job one night and he saw her beautiful face on the 11 o'clock news instead?

He let out a shaky breath. Thank God he found her.

Once she stopped crying, Hinata pulled away to speak properly. "I… I'm sorry," she laughed, wiping away her tears. "I cried like a child and I didn't mean to." Naruto leaned down to kiss the top of her forehead.

"Yeah, and you made a mess out of my shirt," he teased. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Hinata started to apologize but he stopped her. "Hinata. Thank you for telling me that. It really makes me feel appreciated. It makes me feel loved."

"It's because I do love you, Naruto. You've spent so long making me feel special. I'd love to do the same for you too."

He snorted. "I already do feel special. I've got butterflies just knowing that you love me~!" He teased, lifting her off the ground to spin her around. On her neck, he placed kisses so tingly that she squealed, but made no attempt to actually push him away.

This was something she thought she could never achieve. Hinata had a normal, stable career and her sister was in good health. Her best friends were out of such a scary business and she and Ino were able to reconcile and become friends again. Hinata's favorite thing about all of this was falling in love with the man whose shining, bright smile had saved her.


	12. Bridesmaid Dress

I got this out pretty quick, and I'm proud of that. Props to xHinaLovex for reading me like an open book haha. So this is the actual end of the story. I never expected for it to go on this long, but I'm really glad people liked - means a lot, honestly.

Thanks to all of you who favorited, reviewed, alerted and even just read a little bit and decided, "Eh, this isn't my kinda jam." I'm grateful for it.

Enjoy.

* * *

Epilogue: Bridesmaid Dress

* * *

"But why this one?" Hanabi asked. "We can get it in blue or lavender even – you like lavender, right?"

She and Hinata sat on the couch, looking through a bridal magazine. Hinata's wedding wasn't for another couple of months but she sure was taking a while to find the perfect dress for her bridesmaids. Hinata truly was meticulous in everything she did. With taking forever to pick out the perfect wedding dress to picking the most seamless outdoor venue, Hinata fussed over every minute detail.

Though Hanabi supposed she had every right to be fussy. It was her big day, after all.

Even so, Hanabi could not tolerate the color of choice for the bridesmaid dresses. It was a light pink, knee length dress with a sweetheart neckline. The material was chiffon, and although she remembered the material to be soft and comfortable to wear, Hanabi wasn't a big fan of the color pink.

"Oh, I love lavender," Hinata said, circling the order number of the dress with a red marker. "However, I think a light pink would suit everyone very nicely. It's such beautiful color, don't you think?"

No. Hanabi didn't think so. That's why she was advocating for a different color. She only rolled her eyes in response.

The sound of the front door unlocking caused Hanabi to perk up, and as soon as Naruto entered, she quickly waved him over. "Yo Naruto, come over here for a second." She crossed her arms, tapping her finger on her bicep impatiently as he went to give Hinata a kiss hello before turning his attention to her.

"And what can I do for ya, kiddo?"

Hanabi was hardly a kid anymore as she just turned 24 not even a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, she ignored that comment and moved on. "Look at that dress in the magazine and tell me what you think about it."

Cerulean eyes glossed over the dress Hanabi was referring to, but there wasn't anything wrong with it – not that Naruto could see anyway. But he didn't know how to respond to Hanabi. Did Hinata like it or hate it? Were they on opposing sides about the dress? Naruto certainly didn't want to step on any toes; especially the ones of his soon to be wife.

"Is there… something wrong with it?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

Hanabi huffed. "Of course there is! It's the color!" Naruto looked back at the dress once more and then to Hanabi.

"But the color would look nice on pale skin," he said. He should know, he admired Hinata in the color pink every time she wore it.

"Okay, yeah. Normally. But pink doesn't look good on me."

He gave a good natured laugh before ruffling her hair. "What're you talking about? You'd look nice in pink."

"I thought so too," said Hinata with a smile. The couple looked at each other and shared a kiss over their agreement as Hanabi stood up and moved towards the door to retrieve her jacket.

"Fine, whatever! I'm sick of you two love birds. I'm outta here!"

Hinata turned to address her. "Oh? Where are you going? I thought you were going to help me with a few things." They still needed to work on the finishing touches to the invitations before sending them in to get them printed, as well as following up with the wedding planner.

Honestly, Hanabi didn't know why Ino referred Hinata to the man that helped plan her wedding. Hinata hardly even listened to him, always off in her own little world. "I'm going to hang out with Konohamaru. We can do all that stuff tomorrow. Besides, you won't concentrate properly when Naruto's here." And with that, Hanabi left.

Naruto begged to differ. Hinata ignored him very effectively when she wanted something done, and while he admired her determination, he absolutely hated it when she wasn't paying attention to him. What troubled him even more was that even when he was busy, he'd absentmindedly touch her thigh or play with her silky tresses (that she let grow back out by the way). Maybe he really couldn't keep his hands to himself.

"She's so childish," Hinata laughed before closing the magazine, setting it down on the coffee table. "She's sick of us, 'love birds,' but she's going to see her boyfriend. Those two are much more affectionate than she cares to admit."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto grinned before sitting down next to her. "More affectionate than you and me?" One of his hands held her by her waist while the other held her hand as he left a trail of gentle kisses up her arm and towards her neck.

A small giggle bubbled from the pit of her stomach and the faintest color of pink dusted her cheeks. "Well, maybe not as affectionate." Hinata managed to say before his lips stopped at her jaw line. She moved to look at him, and a wave of elation washed over her before she let him place his lips on hers.

The kiss was at first chaste and light. Thoughts of her wedding day clouded her mind as his arms wrapped securely around her waist. The two of them would stand before the alter before family and their closest friends. They'd exchange vows, kiss and spend their whole lives together. Hinata rested her hands on his chest, their kiss slowly growing more passionate.

This was something Hinata had yearned for; to love someone infinitely and to be loved by that same person just as much. She finally could experience what Ino had told her about her own husband. Naruto was someone who made her feel like a princess in some type of fairytale. To wake up to that handsome, whiskered face every morning before getting ready for work made her feel alive. To hear his gruff voice wish her a good night as he held her in his arms made her feel secure.

Every day was another adventure for the two of them.

They broke apart, panting from the passionate kiss while their eyes studied each other's faces. "I love you," Hinata whispered breathlessly.

Naruto couldn't contain his smile. "I love you too," He left her with another peck on the lips before resting his head on her chest as he held her hand. Her hands just seemed to fit in his so seamlessly. "So, how're wedding preparations going? I'd love to help, but you and Hanabi only seem to need my opinions when you two are bickering."

"We do not bicker," Hinata said, using her free hand to gently comb through Naruto's hair. "We just disagree on a few points. She takes it entirely too far sometimes."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," Naruto mumbled. They had a small disagreement about Hinata's wedding dress a while back. Naruto remembered she came home with such a stern look on her face. When he asked what was wrong, she puffed out her cheeks in a bit of annoyance. It was rather cute, actually. "Hey, did you um… did you think about what you were gonna do about walking down the aisle?"

Many people nowadays just walked by themselves. However, when they first talked about planning their wedding, Hinata had gotten teary-eyed over the fact that her father wouldn't be able to walk with her. Naruto hated watching Hinata cry, so he never brought it up again. Now that the wedding wasn't too far away, Naruto thought it would be a good time to ask.

Hinata could feel his hold on her tighten and she smiled warmly before placing a kiss on his head. Naruto was always wary of her feelings and always made sure to comfort her through hugs and kisses whenever he inquired about a sensitive topic. "I thought about it, Naruto. I asked Shino to walk me down the aisle. He was so honored that he cried."

Well, Hinata did cry as well, but it was only after Shino removed his shades to sob into the sleeve of his jacket. Naruto picked up his head from her chest to look at her. "I'm really happy for you, Hinata. So what's Kiba going to be doing? I thought he'd want to walk you down the aisle too."

"Can't Kiba be one of my bridesmaids?" Hinata asked with a look of innocence on her face.

It didn't look like she was faking it either. Naruto grimaced. " _Seriously?_ "

"Yes," she said. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no. Nothing wrong with that," Naruto said before resting his head on her chest again. "Did you ask him?"

Hinata was silent for a moment. "No, but I'm sure he'll agree to it. He can even have a suit tailored differently than the groomsmen." Naruto gave a small chuckle. Hinata was too cute for her own good. There was no way that Kiba could deny her, he was sure of it.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, thanks for… y'know…" he paused, before a tender smile played on his lips. "Thanks for agreeing to marry me. A couple years back, I never thought I'd be in a position like this with you. God, you've already made me so happy and we aren't even married yet." He laughed.

Hinata's heartbeat quickened and she squeezed his hand without thinking. "Thank you for asking me to marry you. I've told you… about my insecurities, right? About never being able to find someone who truly loved me, and about never winding up being as happy as my mother and father once were."

Naruto nodded slowly, and Hinata went on. "But with how insecure I was, I never went out to look for anyone. With my line of work, I couldn't have managed a relationship. I was always so busy making sure Hanabi was alright. And then after I met you, I liked you so much, but a relationship was out of the question.

"I didn't want to risk a bunch of thugs harassing you because of your connection with me and I certainly didn't want to die on the job and have another person mourn my death. The more people who didn't care for me, the better. But you… once you set your sights on something, you never give up." Hinata teased.

"Well, it's just my nature, I guess," He laughed.

"I'm glad you never gave up on me. I truly am grateful for your love and constant support. Thank you so much, Naruto." To live in a world where she and Naruto had never met each other was something Hinata honestly couldn't picture.

Soon, Naruto removed himself from her once more to look into her eyes. She looked at him with such tenderness and kindness, it made his heart skip a beat. Then he left yet another passionate kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, Naruto looked at her with genuine curiosity. "So, most of what you just said… it's just like in your vows, right?"

Hinata stared at him for a long while before jumping off the couch, startling him in the process. "Oh my goodness, _Naruto_! You read my vows? You're not supposed to read them!" She cried before scurrying off to retrieve them.

He got up too, and was hot on her trail. "Oh c'mon! I didn't read them – Oh my God, you keep them in the nightstand?"

"Naruto, stop it!" Her cheeks had gone red as she pulled out the papers from her nightstand. There were so many pages, and they seemed to be handwritten, front and back. "No, go away! I have to hide them so you won't find them!"

"Oh my God, you wrote so much! It's like a novel!" Naruto practically squealed.

"I'm still editing it! Stop teasing me, jeez!" Hinata's cheeks had begun to puff out and Naruto felt the need to hug her tight. Of course, Hinata had him wait out in the hall so that she'd be able to properly hide the papers, but Naruto didn't mind. He passed the time thinking about how adorable his fiancé was.


End file.
